A Summer to Remember
by MidnightOfTheSoul
Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and enough UST to make humidity a thing of the past. EC Not pure fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 1:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do.

A/N: This story goes out to the fans at CSI files, especially those demanding more fiction after that _wonderful_ season finale. This will be a long torturous story, but it will be my vision of what the show should be and how things should be done (ahemericandcalleighcough).

Calleigh closed the door to what had been the week from hell. More like ten days of hell. Leaning with her back against the door, she let her eyes shut and felt a barrage of images flash through her mind of the recent events. Who knew so much could happen in so little time?

It all began the day following the wrap-up of the Shelley Seaver case. Apparently Horatio was not as invincible as he thought he was, and it finally caught up to him. Horatio was due in court for a well publicized case. After the trial in which the culprit was found guilty, Horatio was heading back to his hummer away from all the cameras interviewing the prosecutor. Out of no where, a bullet hit him directly in the chest to the right of his sternum. Before Horatio could move away, rapid fire from another bullet struck him in the left shoulder. Pain seared through his arm as he pressed the emergency button on his pager as he lay between the two vehicles in the parking lot, gasping for breath and clinging to life.

Calleigh and the rest of the team spent the night in the emergency department and later in the I.C.U. awaiting the status of their leader. He suffered two very separate yet equally devastating wounds that would put him out of commission for at least two weeks. On top of the gunshot wounds to his chest, the first wound quickly progressed into a traumatic pnuemothorax, in which air filled the lung cavity, causing the lung to compress on the right side. The second was a through and through and part of his acromion process had been chipped, as well as minor nerve damage had occurred.

The bullet had been retrieved from the first wound and given to Calleigh for analysis. A chest tube was stuck into Horatio's chest to relieve the pressure and allow his lung a chance to expand once again, draining the fluid that continued to fill the cavity. The other wound was very tender, and his range of motion was severely limited in the left arm.

Once he regained consciousness late that night, Calleigh, Eric and Ryan were the only who remained. The I.C.U. staff let each CSI go in and talk with him, although he was hardly coherent with the drugs keeping him pain-free.

Calleigh went in last, and fortunately, she was prepared for the sight. Her eyes got a little glassy, but she blinked it all away.

"I guess once they figure out how to make those Kevlar vests ventilated I should wear one full-time," Horatio joked, though barely a whisper.

"Horatio, we shouldn't have to wear one at all. Do you even remember anything?" She asked, more or less trying to ascertain what she could do the following day, and also to gauge his cognition level.

"Yes. Whoever shot me had to have used a sniper riffle and was definitely at long distance, I'd say from one of the buildings close to the courthouse."

"That's great-" she paused as she saw him shift and wince. He kept trying to cough and couldn't produce one. The chest tube was clearly a painful object, and being hours removed from the intubation tube showed its effects. Life saving though they may be, chest tubes and airway kits still had consequences. Horatio simply lay there for a few moments trying to collect himself.

Calleigh rose slowly and rubbed the top of his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Sleep. I'll come by tomorrow morning with any updates. But I swear to God Horatio, don't you dare try to get out of this bed before they say so."

"Yes ma'am."

"I mean it. Good night Horatio. I'm glad you're alright."

"Night. And Calleigh?"

"Yes?"

"Don't be too good while you're in charge. I need a job to come back to."

"I thought Stetler-" she was puzzled. She thought Stetler had already assigned the number two from swing shift to take over.

"Nope, it's all you. Ryan is on partial detail only."

"Right. Get some rest. I'll see you later."

And that was that. Calleigh came to work an hour earlier the next morning and grabbed the open cases from Horatio's desk, reviewing each one, noting the status of each case. Whoever shot Horatio was priority status and was being investigated by Jeff Moore of the night crew, an earnest and very diligent CSI 3. She was well aware that the rest of the team would want a hand in finding who tried to kill Horatio, but she wanted to make it explicit that they had other cases to deal with at the time.

They currently had 4 cases open. Natalia and Eric were working on two while Calleigh had one with the assistance of Ryan and she was also working another with Natalia. From the looks of things she and Natalia would be able to close the case later that day.

Walking down the corridor to the breakroom, Calleigh glanced over the less exciting of the two cases Eric and Natalia were working. It was a regular B&E, but they found no evidence on scene. Just missing jewelry and a priceless painting by Degas. Probably the larcenist posing as a cable guy. The other case was much more promising and made her wish she could trade with Natalia.

As she walked in and laid the folders on the table she caught a cold glance being sent her way from Eric. Maybe a trade was a bad idea. She took a seat and he continued to ignore her presence. Definitely a bad idea.

Ryan walked in with a bag of bagels balancing precariously from his tray of coffee, smiling at Natalia as she held the door open for him.

"If you're trying to buy your way into our hearts with food, then it sure is working," said Eric, taking a long sip from the steaming cup of coffee.

"Hardly. I figured we could all use a pick-me-up after the last couple of days," he said matter of factly.

"Good call," said Calleigh with a smile as she poured a packet of sugar in her tea.

"So what's up next, do we seize the world and comb the streets or do we arrest everyone who has even thought about buying a sniper rifle?" asked a very adamant Natalia.

"Ha," smirked Calleigh at the other woman's boldness. "Not so fast. To apprise you all of Horatio's current status, he is to remain in the hospital for at least a week, seeing as that is the mandatory stay for someone who has had a chest tube placed in them. Once it's removed we'll see. He said that we should all be nice to Ryan," she shot a knowing glance at Eric, who shot his hands up in a 'who me?' gesture. "And, Jeff from night shift has been placed in charge of the investigation. I'm sure y'all remember how helpful he was two months ago when we had the fire in the hotel, so I ask that you be patient with him and help only when asked," she stated firmly as she looked around the table.

"With all due respect Calleigh, I can't do much right now, but even I think that's crap. Why can't we help? What happens to Horatio directly effects all of us, it only makes sense that we should be able to find out who did this," said Ryan fervently.

"I understand that, but it wasn't my decision," she with a tone of finality. "And right now we have four other cases that need our attention, especially you two with your Bergamont case. How's that going," she directed towards both Eric and Natalia.

Eric looked up from his folder, shrugging. "We've got two suspects, both of whom we can't pin this on. I think I'm going to head back to the scene later to take another look at the window, see if we missed anything."

"He's right. The second suspect, Brandon Fischer, doesn't even have any hits in the system. I think he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I have a few more samples to run testing on, so I should know for sure by ten," said Natalia.

"Sounds great, just keep me posted and let me know if you pull anyone else in, I may be utilizing Frank today for questioning," said Calleigh as she added notes to the case.

Eric and Natalia stood up and left the room, going their respective directions. Calleigh glanced over at a pensive Ryan, who was looking over their case with renewed determination.

"It may not seem like it, but I'm glad you're back Ryan," said Calleigh quietly, hoping to instill a meager bit of confidence in her colleague.

"I know I let you down, Calleigh," said Ryan with a frown. He stood up and started walking towards the door. "It's not going to happen again, no matter how long it takes for you to believe me. Right now, my life is all about this one case, so if you don't mind me, I'm going to head to trace and pick over the evidence with a fine-tooth comb."

"Be my guest. I've got various places to be, but page me if you need anything," she replied as she stood from the table, getting her things in order.

It was going to be a long day. And this was only the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 2:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Matt and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: I'm **graduating** this weekend after four years of pounding away at a useless degree. Therefore no updates will occur until next week, probably Tuesday-ish. Once again, I enjoy the folks over at CSIfiles. They make me chuckle. This goes out to them. Thanks for the reviews and just plain old reading!

O-O-O-O-O

Day two began with good tidings, fortunately.

Calleigh and Natalia stood outside the lab as they watched their suspect, Fernado Ortiz, get loaded into the police cruiser. Thanks to a connection Natalia made between Ortiz's former business partners and Calleigh's doggedness in breaking him down, they got him for 2 accounts of second degree murder. She looked over at Natalia and smiled. Despite the rough beginning they'd had, Calleigh was thankful to have the other woman in the lab with her. Natalia was proving to be an asset to the lab, and it made Calleigh glad Horatio decided to keep her.

"Seriously? Ortiz and Boustamante? How'd you figure that one out?" asked Calleigh with a mixture of curiosity and mild astonishment.

"It actually had nothing to do with my keen investigative skills," Natalia replied with a smile. They turned back and started walking to the lab. "It did have everything to do with my stomach. I was craving this type of chile dish that you can only get at this hole in the wall off Biscayne Boulevard. Coincidentally, I realized that Ortiz docks his boat in that marina and I saw his men unloading one of his cargo ships into a garage that was definitely not his. So, I asked a couple of questions, and you know," she shrugged as an officer held the door for the two women as they entered, smiling their thanks.

"Nothing a smile and the right questions won't get you?"

"Essentially," replied Natalia, knowing the other woman was familiar with the technique.

"Either way, great work. Just for future reference, and not saying you can't handle yourself, but be careful of who you charm. Some of these guys might not look like much, but looks can be deceiving."

"Heads UP!" Ryan came rolling down the hallway in a pair of rollerblades, clearly not skilled in the art of skating. "Woah. Its cool, I'm fine, it's all good," he squeaked as rolled right past the ladies and into a nearby partition.

Without a beat, Natalia looked at Calleigh and nodded knowingly.

"Point taken."

"I'm going to go finish up the report and meet with Frank. Is the B&E taken care of?" asked Calleigh as Natalia started walking towards the DNA lab.

"Yeah, Eric got the warrant for Patterson's arrest. From there it's golden."

"That's what I like to hear," called Calleigh as she walked over to Ryan who was still hugging the partition for dear life.

"Ryan, I'm not going to pull the 'Mister Wolfe' on you, but what _are_ you doing?"

"I was going over the shots you got from the crime scene, and I think this is the print we couldn't match before," he replied as though she should have naturally come to that conclusion.

"And you put the rollerblades on because?"

"Well, the pattern was really erratic, and I was trying to match it up with the picture."

"Disregarding the fact that you probably tracked paint all over this office, did you actually get anything conclusive?" she asked with a tone of mild amusement bordering on frustration.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did." Satisfaction was evident.

"Lead the way Brian Boitano," said Calleigh with a smile in her eyes as Ryan tried unsuccessfully to unlatch himself from the wall.

"Oh please, ladies first."

O-O-O-O-O

For the most part, the first couple of days had gone off without a hitch. Ryan was barred from wearing anything other than shoes in the lab. Calleigh smiled at the thought of him barreling down the hallway at full speed. If that didn't define Ryan she didn't know what did. Eric had been relatively normal, if anything, perfectly professional. Calleigh kept frowning as she thought of what happened at the beginning of the week, but it seemed like a lifetime ago anyway.

Still, there was this nagging feeling at the back of her mind, one which she would have preferred to lock away in her head behind cases that should never be thought of again and relationships that should happen but never will. She worked with Eric. He was handsome and charming and would doubtlessly find someone else to adore within a week, just like he always had. Except Eric _was_ different, especially now. She sighed as she rubbed her hand against her forehead. Dwelling on this simply would not do. Her compartmentalization strategy had yet to fail her, and she planned on employing it to its fullest degree in the upcoming weeks.

Calleigh smiled as the last of the techs from the day shift left the building, watching them walk carelessly out into the evening sun. During the day it could be rather abrasive, but she loved nothing more than the warm sun on her face after a hard day at work. Pulling herself back to the world before her were countless files that needed to be reviewed and processed in order to go to the DA or their respective homes. Not only that, but she had a meeting with Stetler in the morning. He was the most overbearing, smug sonofab-, but ladies don't curse.

There was no doubt in her mind that she could do this job, especially after Horatio left so impulsively for Rio last year. However, that time she knew that it was for a few days and then the stress would be off her. This time it was a whole new ball game. Her fearless leader was relying on tubes to keep him alive, she had multiple parties breathing down her neck, and on top of everything else, she had this asinine paper to write.

A paper? More like a thesis on steroids. About two months ago, Horatio suggested that she accept his nomination to become a Fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Science. She scoffed at the thought at first, stating her lack of credentials and caseload as an excuse. Horatio wasn't buying it. She knew he had a vested interest in her career and was clearly trying to make sure she took advantage of everything within her grasp. He wouldn't have recommended her for position if he hadn't found her completely up to the task. That was the thing about Horatio. Sometimes he knew what you needed long before it came to conception in your mind.

Still, this was the most arduous task posed to her at the most inopportune time. She had superfluous competencies and proficiencies to complete, connections to be made and a thesis-like paper with full citations and a literature review. In Horatio's absence, David Markoff, Jeff's night shift leader, had risen to the task of being her advisor/mentor of sorts. God bless him, he had no idea what he was getting himself in to. She was up to her fourth chapter and was still completing the revisions from the first two drafts she'd already submitted to Horatio.

Steroidal papers aside, she had a lab to run. Business? Right. They'd closed two cases today and opened two in their place. Both of which seemed labor intensive and challenging. Although, Calleigh always welcomed a challenge, especially one in the form of murder and mayhem.

The sounds of laughter filled the hallway and brought Calleigh out of her case induced coma. She glanced up to see Eric and Natalia walking down the hallway talking about something she couldn't quite catch. Watching them together made her somewhat weary, but she respected them both and figured they wouldn't repeat mistakes again. Hopefully.

Eric caught Calleigh watching them from behind her pile of papers and walked to the threshold of the office, eyes going over the work before her.

"How'd it go out in Homestead? I heard P.D. was being less than helpful," she asked before he could remark on the mess before her.

"Yeah well, one of the officers got distracted by a sand volleyball tournament nearby and sort of, strayed a bit. A photographer snuck in and got some shots of the crime scene."

"Get a hold of the camera?"

"Of course, well, we got the memory card out of it, and served him with a nice little fine for paying us a visit," said Natalia, returning from dropping her stuff off in DNA.

"This was Officer Lancer who was on scene with y'all?" asked Calleigh, making a note of his transgression on a post-it. She'd love to post 'idiot' to his forehead.

"Maybe?" said Eric, aware that Calleigh was going to give the poor guy the tongue lashing of his life. Never neglect a southern woman. Or her people.

"Excellent. What'd y'all find?" she asked quickly, before Eric could beg her down.

"A lot actually. This was a messy scene for so little to have happened in it."

"That's for sure. Smelly too. I don't think the house had been cleaned in months. And the cats. There were cats everywhere. We had to get animal patrol out there to corral them before we could even get in," said Eric as he leaned against the table opposite Calleigh, crossing his arms and ankles.

"Y'all document which cat was tagged?"

"Every single one. The old man, yes man, was found by his neighbor next door, a little boy. The kid brought in his mail and a Dr. Pepper every afternoon. Said he didn't see or hear anything suspicious. Alexx is doing post in a little bit if you want to join us."

"Actually make that just you. I have dinner plans that I can't break," said Natalia regretfully. Eric looked at her with mild dismay. She hadn't mentioned that earlier.

"Fair enough, I'd still like to see Alexx. I have to go over a couple of things with her anyway. Thanks for your help today," said Calleigh as she waved Natalia out of the lab. Eric watched her leave and remained leaning against the table, looking at the open file in his hands. Calleigh could tell he wanted to say something just by the way he was holding his head. She looked down just in time to miss him having an internal debate as he watched her thoughtfully from the corner of his eye. Deciding against whatever he was thinking, he moved for the alternative.

"I'm gonna go grab a soda. Want anything?"

"No. Thanks though. I should lay off the caffeine for a little while."

"Ha, that's fine. See you in the morgue," he replied as he strolled out

Calleigh shook her head and closed her eyes, punctuating the gesture with a deep sigh. The image of Eric's face flashed through her mind after he clearly caught Jake kissing her. In the lobby! There went all professionalism. Although, it was a hot kiss. Still, she would have preferred not to have that whole, event played out in front of the guy that she had … designated to permanent colleague status.

Eric knew three things for sure in his life: diving, women and Calleigh. Fortunately, Calleigh was two out of three and that wasn't bad at all. Monday afternoon qualified as one of the roughest he'd had lately, and the only thing responsible was Calleigh's little PDA with Jake in the lobby. The thought of which still made him get this weird seasick feeling and his heart would be really fast. Maybe he should get that checked out. He knew when she got in that elevator that she hadn't intended for that to happen, never would she show such blatant disregard for another's feelings. However, he couldn't help the look of disappointment mixed with hurt that came over his face as he watched the doors close.

That night he'd decided that maybe he should enjoy himself for a change. He'd called up his cousin Mateo and their other friend whom they used to go clubbing with only a year ago. But once he got on scene in the mix of it all, he quickly lost interest even though the ladies around him surely did not. Everywhere he looked he either saw Calleigh or was looking for a Calleigh that wasn't there. Even after dancing with one gorgeous woman after the next, he felt the emptiness in the place. Mateo commented on his indifference and noted how distracted he was. Eric took his leave hours before his normal departure and chose to walk the mile and a half back to his place in Little Havana to think over the State of Things.

The next day the whole fiasco with H happened and all thoughts of Monday's displeasure vanished from his mind. Now though, with Thursday evening settling upon him, the feelings he couldn't shake were once again taking over the subconscious part of his brain. Silly things like the way she held her pen, how she played with her hair when she was going over reports, the meticulous way she examined any firearm. None of this was new to him, and for a while, he thought the feelings would just fade away for few months like they always had in the past. Unfortunately his feelings seemed to have renewed vigor and reset themselves every morning, despite anything that may have happened the previous day.

There was a new plan this time. No more was he going to sit back and let Calleigh run from the obvious attraction and care between them. He knew what she was doing. This was a patented Calleigh evasion tactic which should be nominated for an award somewhere. It wouldn't work on him. Not anymore. Too much had been lost for him to let this die.

Eric was going to switch tactics. This time he was going to immerse himself in her life as a friend. A friend only. No lingering looks, no soft touches, no hidden messages. Once this whole fascination with Jake was over, she was going to return to normal and want someone to hang out with, someone to kick back with after work. He wanted to be the first person she thought of. He would retreat to the point where she thought he had only friendly feelings for her. The ball would be in her court. If necessary he would commit a personal foul from time to time, otherwise, she would be the one directing the course of this experiment of sorts. At least until he could wait no further. However, he'd been waiting for years; he figured he could wait a few months. She'd already pretty much said there were feelings on her side. All he had to do was wait for those feelings to overwhelm her.

His mind made up, Eric grinned mischievously as he walked into the morgue, greeting Alexx and Calleigh with a type of sincerity that had been lacking in his voice for the past few days. He was game, he thought as he took a sip of his soda, catching Calleigh's eyes in the process. But was she?


	3. Chapter 3

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 3:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Matt and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone. Apparently you're supposed to spend time with your family when you graduate. Who knew? I don't know much about weapons, so please forgive any incorrect material. Here is a necessary evil to move the plot along. Please enjoy. I hope to update again on Sonday. .

**Calleigh** pulled her hair back in a pony tail as she glanced in the mirror quickly, reassuring herself that Stetler was just a man trying to do his job. However, she felt like this meeting had an ulterior motive to it, one in which she didn't want to be part of. As she walked towards the lab with her files in hand she couldn't quite shrug the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around discreetly but didn't see anything to trigger any alarm bells.

The cool halls of the lab were a welcoming presence from the already overwhelming summer sun. She dropped her stuff in a chair in the breakroom and walked to the counter and turned on the coffee pot. As she stood there, her mind kept going over what Horatio had told her that morning when she stopped by his room on the way to work.

"The doctors say I shouldn't be in here much longer, the course of antibiotics I'm on should be complete in two days. Then I'm homeward bound."

"I understand your willingness to get out of here, don't get me wrong, but please take care of yourself Horatio. This isn't something you just bounce back from."

"As I'm well aware," he said with a hint of frustration. "Have you gotten anything so far on the sniper?"

Calleigh eyed him warily as he changed topics. "Jeff and I went over everything collected from your crime scene last night. I'm going to get Eric to go over your car and look for any other evidence. Right now, we're looking at 6 different buildings that the sniper could have been on. Although Jeff is pretty confident he knows which one it was. We'll verify this afternoon with lasers at the scene if we get a lull."

"Sounds great. Did you get anything from the slug?"

"Yes it's a .300 Winchester Magnum."

"Okay. No too uncommon. Well let me know what you get."

"You'll be the first," she replied.

"Listen, your meeting with Stetler today?"

"It's not a big deal, he just wants to know where we stand with things," she said confidently.

"I understand that, but he's going to be putting pressure on you to figure out who did this. It makes him look bad when his own lab can't figure out who shot one of his own."

"I know, that's why I'm putting Eric on it, he seems best fit for the job," she replied.

"And him being my brother in law won't color this investigation at all?"

"Not in the slightest. You're our boss. A sense of urgency surrounds this. He wants to find out who did it just as much as you do."

"I know," he replied quietly. He was getting tired again. Taking a deep breath he looked up at her with a little bit of defeat in his eyes. "Anyway, Stetler is going to try to anger you in some way so he can have you feeling guilty for having an outburst and then be in hot water with him. I suggest making the meeting as short as possible," said Horatio.

"How about you worry about yourself, and I'll worry about Stetler," said Calleigh with a kind hearted smile. "I've dealt with much worse Horatio. Get some rest; I'll drop by after work."

**Taking** a deep breath with some steely courage, Calleigh walked down the hallway to have her little tête-à-tête with Stetler. Walking beside the glass wall to his office she saw him checking email and twirling a swirl stick absentmindedly. She tapped lightly on the glass and gave him one of those professional smiles that tended to stop normal men in their tracks.

"Morning Calleigh, please, take a seat," he smiled good-naturedly as she sat down.

"**Hey**, how'd it go with Stetler this morning?" asked Eric as he walked to the counter and filled a cup with some hot coffee.

"It was…" Calleigh paused, searching for the right words, "fine, actually. I think he's up to something though." She paused as she thought about the brief meeting.

"_Calleigh, I want you to understand that any resources you need to catch the shooter are at your fingertips. And if you need to get another CSI on the case, then as long as it doesn't interfere with the regular caseload, be my guest."_

"_Thank you, sir."_

"_With regards to Ryan Wolfe, Horatio and I spoke before he headed off to court as to what Wolfe's functional capacity was in this lab. He is on two months probation, with limited field duty and every case he works with must be supervised and signed by you. At the end of two months Wolfe and I shall meet again and readdress his role here in the lab."_

"_I understand all of that, Horatio gave me his report and instructed me on how best to handle Ryan's situation. He is working all cases with me for the first month and the second month he'll be able to assist the others," she said firmly. Horatio said she could run things how she wanted, but he advised her to be sensitive in handling Ryan, because Stetler clearly did not want him back._

_Stetler glanced at his computer as it beeped, notifying him of another email. Frowning, he turned back to Calleigh and leaned back in his chair._

"_That's fine. But if he so much as blinks incorrectly, I want documentation of it and him gone. We don't have room for screw-ups like him, and especially not on your crew with its history."_

"_With all due respect sir," Calleigh leaned her head to the right slightly as she defended her CSI ,"he has accounted for all transgressions and has been completely cooperative. There will be no problems with Wolfe."_

"_Save it Calleigh. I hear this crap all the time for Horatio," his phone rang and he checked to see who was calling. "Listen I've got to take this. Thanks for coming in, we got supervisors meeting Monday at 4. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime."_

"He was somewhat polite and expressed his willingness to help with Horatio's case. Which reminds me, how late can you stay tonight?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "I don't have anything planned, so however late I need to stay?" He was curious as to where this was headed.

"Great," she smiled. "You and Jeff are combining forces this evening for Horatio's case. I want this wrapped up as soon as possible and we obviously need more man power. I'll give you an updated file after lunch once I get the report back from trace."

"Anything interesting so far?"

"No. Based off what Jeff did last night, I'm pretty sure we have the building the shooter was staging from. But we have to do another sweep to make sure. The problem is that it's pretty clear whoever did this is a professional, so we might hit a wall soon."

"Have you gone over H's recent cases?" he asked as he wrapped his hands around the warm mug.

"We did that Tuesday. I think this goes back further than anything recent. I've got files dating back to 2005, but I'm not so sure this is even associated with the case that Horatio was involved with that day at court."

"So you're thinking crime of opportunity?"

Calleigh nodded and closed another file. 'Which is almost worse, because the shooter knew where he was going to be and that poses a bigger threat."

"The shooter couldn't have been that good, though. I mean he got two shots off and still didn't manage to kill Horatio."

"Maybe that's the point," said Calleigh. "Maybe Horatio was supposed to suffer."

"So we have a sadistic killer with a message?"

"That's where my money is."

They sat for a few more minutes in companionable silence while Calleigh reviewed the cases and updated the status on any recent developments. Eric tried to figure out what to do with all the cats and how each was going to be examined. He figured he and Natalia were going to have a fun day at the humane society.

Eric glanced at Calleigh over his file and smiled to himself. She was clearly thinking about too may things at one time. Her file was in front of her, yet her eyes were not moving. Soon she would drop the file and just stare off into outer space, puzzling over what she should accomplish in the next 12 hours.

Natalia walked by the breakroom on the way to the locker room and stopped mid-step as she looked inside to see who was there. Calleigh was reading a file and Delko was watching her read the file. Natalia rolled her eyes and continued on to the locker room to deposit her belongings.

_Who did he think he was fooling?_ Thought Natalia._ Calleigh was not an oblivious woman and if she wasn't aware of his feelings already, she clearly would pick up on them once she was covered in Eric's drool. Of course, knowing Calleigh and how much of a stickler for the rules she was, she would probably pretend nothing was going on, especially with Horatio in the hospital. Natalia was somewhat miffed though. From what she could tell, Calleigh had initiated a lot of the contact both physical and platonic between her and Eric. What was Eric supposed to think when she went around kissing arrogant, pig-headed homicide detectives in the middle of lab? Maybe she should talk to Calleigh._

As she walked into the breakroom she saw Ryan moving his arms about frantically and Eric and Calleigh laughing at something he had said.

"And as I sat there, this woman kept hitting me with her purse, over and over again. I couldn't do much more than sit there because her hulk of a son was coming straight at me. So I explained the situation to her in my broken Spanish and she kind of stopped for a second trying to figure out what I said. I just stood up and got out of there as fast as possible."

Calleigh sighed at Ryan and shook her head. "Ryan it sounds like you were asking to take her son for a spin."

"I'm pretty sure most women don't like the insinuation that they are old," said Eric as he pushed away from the table and refilled his cup, "nor do they appreciate some man asking for their son to provide them with sexual favors."

"Ryan if you're that desperate for a date I'm pretty sure I have some friends who are available," said Natalia as she took a seat beside Eric.

"Seriously, it wasn't like that," he said as he slumped in his seat.

"Right, we understand," said Calleigh as she passed each person an updated sheet. "Okay, Eric and Natalia have fun with the cats today, I hope you have your shots up to date. When you get back this afternoon page me Eric, so I can give you what Jeff and I've gotten so far."

"Sounds good," said Natalia. "I'm pretty sure Frank got that kid to talk from our hit and run, so as soon as a I get a confirmation on his epithelials, I'll let you know so we can take him in to see the judge."

"Excellent, see you later guys," she waved them off and looked at Ryan.

"We've got our hands full today. I just got a new case last night and I've got to head over and finish processing the scene with Frank. I'd like you to go over what we brought back last night, and make sure you pay close attention to the books we brought in. The victim was a librarian so Frank and I were thinking there might be a link. Alexx should be ready for us in about 45 minutes."

"Okay boss," he said as he pushed away from the table to stand up. "Are you going to keep me company at anytime or will it be me and my tools all day?" he said jokingly, although she could tell there was seriousness in his question.

"Don't worry, I'll be slaving away in ballistics once we're done with the scene. It was getting to be too late to go over the perimeter as well as I would have liked and we still can't find the cartridges from the shooting."

"No worries. I'll see you and Alexx in a little while," he said as he headed towards trace, examining the contents of the report.

Calleigh leaned back in her chair and stretched. Clearing her head, she plotted out mentally where each person was and would be for the rest of the day. Eric and Natalia had the cats, she had the book shooting and to wrap up her and Natalia's hit-and-run, Ryan was doing the grunt work and Frank was her go-to interviewer for the day.

And it was only 8 am.

**Eleven** hours later and Calleigh felt like it had been a minute and a lifetime.

Calleigh had gotten a call from Horatio's doctor around 1730 telling her that Horatio had blood leaking into his pleural space and they were going to have to open him up again to find the source of the problem. On top of that, his antibiotics were not working and they were going with alternative methods.

Before she got that call, Frank told her that the kid they initially had for their hit-and-run had lawyered up and was going with police coercion to get their confession. Splendid. Next the kid will say that they were holding a gun to his head.

Not only that, but while she and Frank were going over their scene from the book shooting earlier they discovered another body wedged underneath the shed in the back yard. Nothing like an extra body that seemed to be completely unrelated to the current murder to complicate things.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention away from the series of 9mm cartridge casings before her.

"Get this. The cats? Aren't just cats. Apparently the old guy was breeding them for… a means of concealing certain illegal paraphernalia," said Eric as he walked in to the lab and leaned against the wall behind Calleigh.

"You can't be serious," she said with mock disbelief. "How many of the cats? And where? How?"

"Woah there speed racer," he said holding his hands up. "Of the 37 cats we had documented, we found 21 with cocaine present, surgically placed in their lower abdomen. Apparently the old man used to be a veterinarian before he went to the dark side."

"Grandpa was a drug trafficker? How much did y'all find?"

"All told? Nearly a kilo."

"Well, maybe coke is the new moonshine," she said as she catalogued the results from her second DB. "I'm going to assume you were too wrapped up with the cats to give me a heads up on this?"

Eric sucked in a breath. Her voice was barely restrained. He and Natalia had been running back and forth all day running tests on the cats and watching the surgical removal of the cocaine and talking to the DEA, who now wanted to take over their case.

"Calleigh-"

"You know, I'm giving y'all a fairly loose leash here. The most I ask for is to be clued in from time to time. I was already notified by an agent from the DEA about your case, which, made me look idiotic when I had no idea what he was talking about," she paused for a second to look at him, putting her hands firmly on her hips. "You came and went twice from the lab today and neglected to see me after lunch when I paged you with the updated file on Horatio's case. From any other person that would be a sign of disrespect. From you, I'm not sure what it is because this has never happened before. I don't care what your reasons were for not keeping me informed; just don't let it happen again."

Eric looked down at his shoes, shaking his head slowly. Most of him felt guilty and ashamed. A small portion of him was a little indignant and moderately frustrated. So that's what it felt like to be Ryan after he screwed up.

The outraged portion of him was speaking now and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

"Just doing my job Calleigh," he looked up and saw that she'd returned to her casings. "Wouldn't want to make you look _unprofessional_ or anything."

He watched her pause briefly and take in a deep breath. At least Eric got what he was aiming for. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Eric turned to leave the lab but was stopped by Calleigh clearing her voice and a final remark.

"If you're still up for it," she said quietly, "Jeff headed out to the court house about 10 minutes ago, he's going to laser the scene. He could probably use a hand."

Cold, professional, and a touch of sincerity. She sure knew how to make a man feel great about himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 4:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Elliot and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: Sorry for the delay again, but this is a giant chapter, so what can I say. I hope someone else out there is deriving pleasure out of this, because I'd hate to slave away for nothing. Happy reading!

O-O-O-O-O

It was almost midnight before she stepped foot in her house again. Calleigh was hoping this wasn't becoming a sign of things to come because she actually did need beauty sleep. It was right up there with oxygen and the gun vault. She slumped down in her closest chair and mentally went over the day.

Horatio was stable and knocked out on some lovely painkillers, while she stood vigil for only a half hour, talking to Horatio as though he were going to offer some sage wisdom and throw on his sun glasses. All she got in return were the beeps and hums of the machines keeping him alive.

Jeff had been told to page her, regardless of time, if anything came up from the room the sniper had staged in. Eric and Jeff had ascertained the exact location after a little difficulty, but to much delight. Evidence had been found in the room, which although located in a prominent investing firm, had been vacant for two months as the floor was under renovations.

Provided with food and renewed hope, she, Eric and Jeff plugged away at the scene for another hour, until Jeff got called in for a triple homicide.

"And then there were two," Eric muttered as he shined the maglite on the floor.

Calleigh was trying hard not to be irritated with Delko, yes Delko. Whenever anyone pissed her off they got relegated to last name status in her head. He was out of line earlier and now he was clearly trying to make nice with her so she wouldn't be mad at him.

Normally, she would just let things go. It was rather unprofessional to hold a grudge and tended to take away from the matter at hand. She wanted to let this go. But there was something about the whole situation that bothered her. Did he have an issue with her being in charge? Did he think she wasn't as good as Horatio? Was she handling the cases wrong? Should someone else have taken over?

Eric watched as Calleigh stood quickly and shook her head, her ponytail wobbling behind her. He tried to hide his expression of concern as Calleigh looked over at him then offered a thin-lipped smile as she turned away again.

Projecting her fears onto Delko was not going to help matters. She needed to suck it up and move on. There was no room for doubt in a job like this and she needed to push her feelings aside and listen to the evidence and the room around her.

So what about it? All the offices on this hall had a thick sheet of plastic as their outer wall, steel girders exposed and supportive. Dry wall had been re-hung recently, giving the sniper relative coverage. In her experience snipers had no problem waiting for their target, as evidenced by prior cases. This area would have been too hectic for a sniper unless the area was going to be less trafficked. They'd have to speak to the construction crew tomorrow. Was tomorrow Saturday? Was it tomorrow already?

Returning to her initial concerns, she looked at the scene. The sniper clearly used something to brace the rifle with, based on wait time and using the floor out of necessity. She squatted to get a closer look at the area and frowned. Not only was the area spotless, but all the construction dust was definitely going to hinder their progress.

"Do you have your retractable blade? We're going to have to get this plastic off and take it back to the lab."

"Yeah, it's in my kit. Just give me a second," he said as bent down and picked up a fiber, sliding it into a bindle.

"You got something?" asked Calleigh, mixture of incredulity and gladness. It was about time they got somewhere.

"I think so but I'm not sure if it'll give us anything."

"Something is better than nothing."

"You got that right," he said as he stored the evidence in his kit. "So what do you think?"

"Sniper couldn't have been here long, place was crawling with construction workers. Probably brought a Remington 700, something that could be stored easily and gotten past a lot of people."

"Possibly worked here, knew where H was going to be."

"That means he had access to some of our records or either he has a scanner."

Eric tilted his head to the side and scratched his neck. "The court trial was public knowledge, maybe the sniper came a day or two in advance, found a good spot and was already prepared for H when the time came."

"I've been saying for years that they shouldn't have designated parking spots for officers in the court parking lot. It makes it easier to pick us out. My only concern was how the sniper knew that was where Horatio was going to park."

"From my experience, H tends to be a creature of habit for the most part. Look at the way he dresses," offered Eric. "That spot is one of the few large enough to accommodate one of our Hummers."

"That spot and the three next to it though," she said.

"Well he was in there for a long time, maybe the sniper found a location with a good view of those spots then adjusted accordingly when H parked that morning."

Calleigh remained quiet for a second and considered this. Eric was right. That was the only way it could have worked.

"You're right," she said as she got the retractable blade from his kit. "Help me get this down?"

"Sure let me get up higher," said Eric, knowing his height afforded him the advantage.

She handed him the blade and their fingers brushed together, but she ignored it. Just as she ignored how nice it was to work with him again. The way they bounced ideas off each other flowed so well, it was uncanny sometimes. How many times had they solved a case based on their stream of consciousness brainstorming sessions?

They left the building a half hour later, going over other ideas, their professional ease returning to them once again. Calleigh climbed into the passenger side and grabbed the file she left in the seat, writing down more notes, other things to check and people to notify. Eric placed the rest of the evidence in the back of the hummer and climbed in the driver's side.

As he drove them back towards the lab he turned the radio on low, keeping quiet as he let his thoughts take over. _The sniper knew where H was going to be. This had to be personal. It wasn't related to the case he was appearing at, but it had some significance. Maybe this was an old case. Maybe the sniper has done this in the past? But why? Why H and why now?_

Calleigh too was thinking about the case, her own thoughts mirroring Eric's. She glanced over at him and he was a thousand miles away.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Where are you?"

"Something just isn't adding up, and I feel like this whole thing has just begun. The sniper had a motive, clearly, but I don't think H was the target of it all. He'd be dead if he were."

Calleigh smiled and braced her head against her hand which was resting against the window.

"I was thinking the exact same thing," she replied. Without thinking she added, "I'm glad you decided to come. Horatio needs this. Especially now."

Having been apprised of Horatio's situation, Eric noted her former comment and asked about Horatio's current status.

"They found where the bleeding was, it just means he'll be in the hospital a little longer than they thought. Although, they may have to duct tape him to the bed soon, he's been ready to leave for a while."

"Yeah I dropped by yesterday for a bit," said Eric as he pulled into the lab's parking lot. "I was surprised he hadn't already charmed some nurse into letting him get out of bed."

"Seriously," agreed Calleigh as she climbed out and headed towards the back of the hummer. "Still, he has to take care of himself, if he wants to be back one hundred percent."

Eric nodded as he grabbed his kit and helped Calleigh get the rest of the plastic cover out.

"Yeah, but speaking from experience, this job is addictive. It's painful to watch the news knowing bad things are going on and you can't do anything about it except sit there. Even when y'all came by it was bittersweet, because I knew you were going back out there, exactly where I wanted to be," he rambled, and stopped abruptly, not intending to share all of that.

Calleigh stopped walking and looked at him as he turned to face her. "I never realized Eric, we never meant, I mean, I'm sorry-" he quieted her by holding up a hand and taking a step forward.

"Never apologize for visiting someone in the hospital. We look forward to each and every visit. Even those from Tripp, who'd stand there for a minute, offer updates on things and then say he needed to get back before Miami set itself on fire."

Calleigh smiled at the thought of Frank beating it to get out of the hospital.

"He never has liked hospitals."

"Who does?" he said as they began walking again, unconsciously holding the door open for her as she walked inside. "Still, all I'm saying, is it wasn't nearly as painful or boring or tedious when you came to visit. It gave me something to look forward to," he admitted cautiously. Just to be safe he mentioned Ryan, "Even when Wolfe came, I at least had him to laugh at. He gets himself in the worst situations."

Calleigh nodded and rolled her eyes. Didn't she know it. "Yeah but he means well, most of the time."

"Yeah, most of us do," he said as she followed him into trace where he dropped off the fiber.

"Listen, I'm going to go check on how Jeff's other case is going then I'm going to head home. You can take off if you want, not much can be done right now anyway."

Eric looked at her as though he didn't believe her.

"I swear, I'm going to drop by the hospital then go home," she said somewhat defensively.

"You're coming in tomorrow though, aren't you?" he said knowingly.

"Yeah, but I have a lot to catch up on. I'll just go over the plastic and see what I can get, talk to the construction company. Don't worry about it, you've already helped so much."

Eric shook his head as he followed her in the printing lab, watching as she left a note for Jeff.

"I'll see you at noon then?" he said, without giving her any room to argue.

"Eric, seriously," said Calleigh. She wasn't trying to take advantage of his help. She didn't want him giving up his weekend for this.

"Great, I'll bring lunch, so come hungry. Does Jeff have an aversion to meat?" asked Eric.

"Fine," she muttered something to herself that sounded like, "insufferable" and placed the plastic sheet which was encased in another plastic bag on an empty table bordering the wall. She looked at him over her should and sighed.

"I think he's a carnivore so you're fine."

"Excellent."

O-O-O-O-O

The weekend was relatively uneventful. They got plenty of prints that led to seven different construction workers with no criminal background. The company had been relatively helpful and at least gave them something to work with. The fiber did appear to be foreign to the seen, and very likely the only proof they had of their sniper.

The trio worked hard most of the weekend, logging in evidence and working moderately long hours. Saturday night the three of them went out for dinner and had another brainstorming session, which was now vital to their increasing despair.

Eric found that he liked Jeff, who at first was a little standoffish, but it only took a day or so before they warmed up to one another. Eric saw why Calleigh liked him. He had a dry sense of humor and was acerbic at times; much like someone they used to work with. He was also a damn fine CSI, which topped all else.

At the end of Sunday afternoon, Calleigh found herself dragging her heels. She'd just gotten home from a thorough six hours at the lab and in the field. Having Eric and Jeff with her helped tremendously, but even when she came home she still had plenty of work to do.

Over the course of the weekend, Eric figured out how to close one of his cases, which left the team with three ongoing investigations. Other than her supervisors meeting the following afternoon, it appeared that Monday wasn't going to be too bad; assuming the rest of Miami cooperated with her plans.

O-O-O-O-O

Placing a newly revised copy of her behemoth of a paper on top of the recently reduced stack of files on her desk, Calleigh sat down with a heavy sigh.

For the most part, Monday went well, but her meeting was less than stellar.

Stetler was on the warpath again and kept making snide comments to her with regards to the progress of her crew's cases. Before she could say something she regretted, the meeting was called to an abrupt close when Stetler got paged for another meeting.

"Don't let him get to you, he's just pissy because the sheriff yelled at him earlier for another idiotic mistake," said David.

"Oh he doesn't bother me in the slightest. I learned to ignore him a long time ago," said Calleigh as they walked down the hallway.

"Good for you then, few others can claim that regard for Rick."

"I've certainly had practice," she replied.

"I bet," he said as he reached into his briefcase. "I have a surprise for you, I haven't gotten to the references section yet, but I have the other pages for you. It's quite good Calleigh. I'm surprised you haven't gone for your doctorate yet."

"Thanks, but as one of two females in my class of physics majors, it turned me off from the prospect of any graduate work in the field."

"Fair enough, but if you change your mind, I am emeritus faculty at University of Miami."

"How do you find the time?"

"Do you see a wedding band?"

"No."

"Exactly," he said with a grin. "I'll expect a new copy by Thursday before my shift. Let me know if you need anything," he said as he waved good bye.

"Thanks David, I will," she replied as she watched him walk away, his 60 year old frame betraying the beginnings of arthritis. Despite his age, he acted like a 30-year old and for that she was thankful. Nothing was worse than pedantic condescension from a more learned individual.

As she settled down to put in some quality time with her paper, she got a call from the ADA on a case that after a few bumps along the way, was finally going to court that Thursday.

"8:45? That should be fine. I'll head over there once I wrap up here. Yeah bring everything you've got. We need this to be a slam dunk."

O-O-O-O-O

"Hey Cal, we're all goin' out after shift, want to join us?" said Valera from the doorway of the ballistics lab.

"Aw, I have to finish this section, but I should be able to stop by for a bit. Where'll you be?"

"I'm not sure. Delko gets to decide tonight. I'll send him over once he decides."

"Sounds good. I'll see y'all later."

As she saved the finishing touches on the first half of revisions, she heard a light tap on the doorway.

"Finishing up here?" asked Eric casually.

"Yeah, just about. I think I may take a rain check tonight. I just got called by the ADA for the Valejo case and he wants to meet about the deposition Thursday."

"Calleigh, it's almost 7:00. Tell him you'll meet him for lunch tomorrow, but tonight you have a commitment you couldn't possibly back out of."

"Eric-" she wanted to give in to him, he was smiling again, making her think the whole reason he was so cold to her the past week was something she imagined. However, the issue remained that she wasn't one of them anymore. She had to be the first one there and the last to leave. Responsibility and all it entailed B.S. And she really _did_ need to meet with the ADA.

"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Meet us in an hour at Lotus. Stay for 15 for all I care. Just make an appearance so we know you actually leave the building," he said the last bit with a smirk, knowing he get raised eyebrows and a glare in return. He watched as she turned away from him and stuck a manila folder in its place and wrote some notes on a pad of paper on the counter. Either her glare was an assent or she was freezing him out. He walked up behind her and tried his infallible logic.

"I'll finish the report on the Douglas case and… I'll clean out the refrigerator," he said confidently, knowing that the last thing she wanted to deal with was a pile of paper work.

"Oh you do know how to charm a girl. Give it up Delko. I'll be there in an hour," she said without looking up. He smiled in response and decided to continue his streak of bravery.

"Good," he said with thinly-veiled smugness. "You won't regret it," he said quietly as he turned and walked away.

With that, he walked out of the lab, searching for Natalia and Ryan.

O-O-O-O-O

An hour and seven, no eight minutes later, and Calleigh still hadn't shown.

"How about her?" asked Valera as she motioned towards a leggy brunette standing at the bar.

Dan and Ryan looked in the direction she was pointing and Ryan shook his head. "No way. Dan needs a challenge. Someone to show how he has improved under our tutelage."

"Dan, if you're relying on them for tutelage, you might want to rethink any aspirations of scoring tonight," said Natalia as she took a sip of her martini.

"I resent that," said Eric in mock indignation. "I'll have you know Dan had an excellent evening last Saturday thanks to Ryan and me."

"It was nice," said Dan reminiscently. "Too bad she's out of town. Why'd you set me up with a flight attendant?"

"Ha! She probably has a man in every place she flies into," said Valera.

"Hey you just wanted hot. You didn't specify profession," said Ryan as his eyes caught on a woman walking their way. "I've got it. You should go for her," he nodded in her direction. "Shouldn't be too hard. Just show her a pretty gun."

They all turned and watched as Calleigh walked towards the quintet, having just spotted their table. She was still in her work clothes and yet, men's eyes still followed the blonde as she crossed the dimly lit room. Eric liked it when she wore green - especially that blouse. It made her eyes brighter. He always found it hard not to stare though.

"You kidding? She's out his league. Hell, she's even out of _my_ league," said the renowned player as he swigged his beer and the others laughed.

"You sure about that, Eric?" whispered Natalia from across the table.

Eric gave her a look that mixed 3 parts confusion, 1 part hostility.

"Hey y'all sorry I'm late. What's so funny?" said Calleigh as she took a seat next to Ryan and opposite Valera.

"Oh we were telling Dan that he should try to score-" began Valera

"tickets to the next hurricanes football game."

"I thought you hated the 'canes?" replied Calleigh as the waitress came over to get Calleigh's order. "Just water with lime please" she said, wishing for the buzz a drink would offer, but knowing she had to go back and work on that fun little paper of hers.

"We were just trying to find someone for Dan to ask out," said Natalia, trying to clear up the confusion.

"Well she looks lovely, ask her," pointed Calleigh at the same brunette as before. The others laughed as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Yeah, thanks Calleigh," replied Dan with a hang-dog expression. "They just said her too. I guess she's the one."

Everyone sat there and watched him take a deep breath. Calleigh couldn't help chuckling a little bit.

"This is what y'all do when you go out? Entertain yourselves by watching poor Dan crash and burn?" she asked Ryan and Eric.

"Of course not," said Ryan.

"No, we buy him consolation drinks if it doesn't work out," said Eric as though that would make up for it.

"And that makes everything better?" asked Calleigh in disbelief.

They watched as the brunette clearly shut down Dan, right before her 6"3' date walked up right behind him. Dan turned and walked away with a look of pure embarrassment on his face. Behind him was the waitress, who stopped at Eric's end of the table to give Calleigh her drink.

The women at the table watched with mild shock as the waitress shamelessly and blatantly rubbed against Eric and smiled at him flirtatiously. She also managed to give the entire table an ample view of the cleavage that was destined to be Eric's. As she turned away, Valera went off before Calleigh could even register what happened.

"Was she brought up in a place where it's socially acceptable to hop in a guy's lap in front of his coworkers? Maybe we should go get some singles and she'll do a dance right here."

"Oh cut her some slack Maxine," said Ryan offhandedly. "She probably works here full time and doesn't see any guys except for the ones that come through here. She's got to keep it fun somehow."

Calleigh looked at him curiously and smiled knowingly.

"So you either dated a waitress or you managed to get real friendly with ours recently."

"Me? No. I bussed tables during the summers in high school."

"With your OCD tendencies?" asked Eric. "Must have been stressful."

"What Ryan is really saying," said Natalia, "is that he met his fair share of ladies while working."

"You bet."

"Ok, well if you're such a pro," said Valera, "then I'd like to see you score a date with Green Dress over there."

Ryan glanced in her direction and smiled. The rest of the table also followed his gaze. Calleigh found this to be entirely too entertaining. Green Dress could have easily posed in Vanity Fair, high cheekbones, no body fat and a dress that emphasized her frontal investments.

"Oh you're on," he said as he downed the rest of his beer.

Calleigh glanced at Eric as he shook his head and sat back. He looked relaxed and less tired. He even looked somewhat happy, or maybe just carefree. She realized she was staring as she felt another pair of eyes on her and turned back to Ryan who was challenging Valera.

"But if I get a date, and I will, so pay attention Dan, you have to go talk to the one in the corner."

"But he's sitting with his buddies."

"Exactly. I just made it that much easier for you. I have yet to meet a guy who will turn down an attractive woman in front of his friends. That's just plain stupid," he said as he stood up. Valera smiled as his compliment struck her.

"Fine. But if he says no, I also want a consolation drink," she said petulantly.

Ryan walked off and conversation around the table carried on, ranging from who Dan should ask and what was wrong with his approach.

"Dan, what is it that you do when you walk up to a woman," asked Calleigh.

"I introduce myself and say something flattering."

"Yeah no good," "No way," frowned Natalia and Valera.

"What's wrong with that approach?" asked Eric, obviously the one who taught him the introduction.

"Dan, pretend you're trying to ask me out, we can critique your performance better," said Calleigh, scooting closer to Max as the women became more engaged. Eric simply sat back and watched. No way would Dan ever be smooth enough to get someone like Calleigh.

"Uh, okay," he said as he brushed his hands through his hair and took a deep breath.

"I couldn't help but notice that your glass looked empty. Mind if I buy you another?" he said with a deeper slightly more confident sounding voice. Calleigh was leaning forward on the table opposite Dan, actively trying to gauge his approach.

"Too forceful. And too obvious," said Calleigh in an instructive voice. "This isn't college anymore. Women, especially the ones here, are very aware that they are good looking and they know how to work it. I do give you a bronze star for not saying something ridiculous like, 'I'm sorry, I haven't been able to keep my eyes off you all evening, I wanted to get a closer look to see if it was just the dress or your gorgeous smile."

"Yuck, what about when they have a patented pick up line?" asked Natalia.

"Or when they just can't take the hint?" commiserated Valera.

"Hey be nice to us," said Eric, finally standing up for his sex. "It is hard trying to pluck up the courage to ask any one of you out. You're all beautiful and you stand there with this intimidating stance and your fierce looking drinks shooting death glares at men who even dare to ask for a chance to speak with you. So forgive us if you've heard our patented lines before, but it hurts a lot less than having a genuine attempt rebuffed."

All three women remained silent, scolded into thoughts of remorse. Then the waitress came by and brought Eric another refill without his even asking for one, brushing his shoulder with her hand.

"Yes I can clearly see you've had that problem so many times before," said Valera as she watched the waitress walk away.

The other two women rolled their eyes and smiled. Natalia remained silent at this, the only woman to actually be subject to the romantic side of Eric. Calleigh looked everywhere but Eric, obviously trying to forget their conversation not too long ago. Dan shook his head and scooted in to the table, ready for more learning.

"So how should I do it then?" he asked earnestly.

"For starters, talk quietly. The female always has to lean in further to hear you. Makes things immediately more intimate," said Natalia.

"A lot of it also has to do with posturing. In assuming you've actually watched the object of your attention for a little bit, you'll be able to tell a few things from the way she sits," said Calleigh.

"Like what?"

"If she leans against the bar or table," said Valera, "she's either waiting for someone or she's not interested in being approached."

"That or she just likes her men to work," said Calleigh with a knowing smile, "but that's a little too advanced for you."

"You seem like the type to make your men work," said Eric to Calleigh.

"Every minute," she shot back. "Look for a woman who is sitting with her back to the bar, facing outwards. It is a good idea to wait until she gets close to the end of her first drink so you can buy her another, but if she's had more than two or three, then hold off. Unless you want a one night stand."

"Who doesn't?" Dan replied without thinking. He shrugged as the women around him frowned disapprovingly.

"Be polite when you first meet her, and talk _to_ her, not her chest," said Natalia.

"We don't appreciate men coming in for a closer look at the merchandise," said Valera.

"Either way, keep eye contact and try to seem genuinely interested," said Calleigh. "Do not use a pick-up line. Ever."

"Unless it's one like mine," said Ryan triumphantly as he took Dan's old seat.

"You serious? You got her? Nice," said Dan with a raised hand for a high-five.

"You probably shouldn't do that either," frowned Natalia.

"Whatever," said Ryan as he slapped Dan's hand with his palm. "Valera your turn. We're all walking out of here with dates Friday so you might as well go next."

"Fine, but I get time to look foxy," she replied as she headed towards the ladies room.

"What do you mean we're all walking out of here with dates Friday?" asked Natalia. "I don't need a date Friday."

"Yes well, I feel like you could be a good model for our dear friend Dan, who is desperately in need of guidance."

"I don't do the whole 'ask the men' thing. If they want me, they can come and get me," she said as she took another sip of her martini.

"Aw, come on Natalia," said Ryan beseechingly. "I've always wanted to see you at work."

"No. Plus, I already _do_ have plans this Friday thank you," she said enigmatically.

"Fine, fine," said Ryan as he sat back and watched as Valera began conversing with her target.

"What about you Eric, who's it gonna be?"

"Are you kidding?" said Natalia, "the waitress practically tattooed her phone number to his forehead. All he has to do is sit there."

"She hasn't given me anything," said Eric.

"Yet."

Up 'til now no one had looked to Calleigh. For that she was glad. There was no way she was up for something like that right now. Especially in front of Eric. Or anyone for that matter.

"Ah, but numero uno, boss lady, fearless leader," rattled Ryan, pleasantly tripping off scoring a date. "I'll personally see to it that Dan has an excellent companion if you so much as walk up to the bar. Just walk. I figure you don't do much more than that anyway."

Calleigh glanced at her watch. It was about time to leave anyway. She thought about it a little more and figured it couldn't hurt. Especially for Dan's sake.

"Okay," she shrugged as the others around the table stilled their movements, surprised at her agreement. "I'll do it. But you better give Dan the best date of his life."

"You're actually going to do it?" asked Natalia incredulously.

"It can't hurt, and at least one of us will benefit."

"I should have brought popcorn," said Eric as Calleigh stood and collected her purse and her small leather briefcase.

Calleigh replanted herself at the bar, in relatively clear view of the table and the entrance and even Valera's side show. She assumed the previously mentioned closed off stance, leaning forward in her chair with her arms braced upon the smooth glowing counter. Glancing back at Eric, she grinned as he shook his head at her.

"What'll it be?" said the overly groomed bartender. He must have spent more time in front of the mirror than Calleigh did. Lately, that wasn't saying much.

"Ginger ale please," she replied as he nodded and squirted soda from the tap into a glass.

"How long do you think she'll be up there?" asked Ryan.

"Five, six minutes, tops," said Eric, having seen this whole charade before. Back when he and Cal and Speed used to go out. He frowned a little. It was better for him if he didn't think of those days. How much he missed them.

"Really?" said Natalia? "I bet you the next round it'll be less than that."

"Oh you're on."

"Who's keeping time?" asked Dan.

"I've got a minute and fifteen seconds right now," said Ryan.

"So I've got bad news, and I've got good news," said Valera as she returned with an air of victory.

"Guy in the corner is happily engaged to this wonderful girl who happens to be a defense attorney for Hamlin, Chase, and Novak," said Valera.

"No good honey, leave the taken ones alone," said Natalia.

"Oh I am. I will be joining the gentleman on his right for dinner this Friday at Mono Loco."

"Nice, Max," said Eric as he raised his bottle to her. "Good luck with that. Call me if he turns out sketchy. We can't lose any more techs."

"Unbelievable," said Natalia.

"What? I'm just watching out for her," said Eric defensively.

"No, that," gestured Natalia in Calleigh's direction.

"That's three mintues and twelve seconds" said Ryan. "He must have balls of steel."

Eric watched as a man in a pale blue button-up was speaking to a smiling Calleigh. He had his hand on the back of her chair and was wearing tan slacks, possibly straight from work. Calleigh had turned to him slightly and was nodding in response to something he said. He gestured towards the door and she glanced in that direction and shrugged, then smiled again at something he said. Eric really wanted to see who this guy was. He could tell the man was well-built from behind and was well-kept, based on his hair cut and posture.

Natalia watched Eric as Calleigh rose from the bar, taking her things and followed the man towards the exit, offering the table a shadow of a smile as she walked past. She totally had him. Eric was so far gone it was ridiculous.

"She's just going to leave with him? Who does that?" asked Dan, shocked at what he just witnessed.

Eric remained silent, puzzling something over in his head. He felt like he knew that guy. Calleigh left way too easily for her exit to not be a little suspect.

"They're probably getting dinner or something," said Valera, "not what you're thinking."

"But he spoke to her for what, thirty seconds?" asked Ryan, also a little suspicious.

Natalia peeked over to Eric and saw him looking down at his bottle, going over something in his head. Something in her field of vision outside distracted her observation.

"They just went next door," she gestured at the pair sitting at a table outside the restaurant next door.

Eric turned and got a better look at the man, trying to figure out where he'd last seen him. He recalled the man wearing a full suit, with a smart looking tie and shiny black shoes the last time he'd seen him. Who wears clothes like that in Miami? Lawyers. She was meeting with the lawyer from the Valejo case. Why else would she have brought her brief case to Lotus?

"Either way, he is one good looking man," said Valera. "I'd have gone with him too."

"You're not the only one," replied Natalia. "Look at that smile. That says, 'I could have done Colgate commercials, but instead I work a real job."

The others at the table laughed while Eric shook his head. He thought number one on the Valejo case was a 52-year-old lawyer from Hollywood, Florida with three girls, a dog, and a former dolphins cheerleader for a wife. Ken doll over there was neither 52, nor married. And he was definitely smiling at Calleigh like she was amazing and funny and gorgeous, and not like she was his point CSI on what was going to be his biggest case of the year.

Conversation continued around the table as the novelty of Calleigh's brash move wore off, but Eric remained quiet. Things tended to be more exciting when he had someone to focus his attention on. Right now he just had Ryan offering imitations of a guy he knew in the academy that was now trying to work S.W.A.T. but failing miserably.

"I mean, on the proficiency for shooting, the guy was one away from failure," said Ryan. "How does he think he'll be able to protect and defend others in a stressful situation when he couldn't even fire away in an empty room designed for shooting?"

"Working patrol gets old fast, maybe he just wanted to try something new," said Eric, pretending like this conversation actually interested him. He really just wanted to leave. Take Ken doll with him also.

Valera's phone went off and she answered, just as Dan asked who his upcoming date was supposed to be. Eric was going to mention that Calleigh never really got a date, but thought better of it when he realized Dan needed something to do this weekend.

Calleigh was sitting opposite Elliot Jurgensson and couldn't help but laugh. He was one of those men blessed with this ineffable charm and ease that made the Kennedys look like bumbling fools. He was currently recounting his disastrous tale of his first day in a Miami court, not holding out any of the gory details.

"So I'm getting ready to go in and this clerk walks past me and says 'Good luck, Martinez eats newbies like you for breakfast.' And I, being all dashing and self important, thought, 'I have seven years under my belt from Phoenix. What on earth could she do to me?"

Calleigh shook her head. Martinez was possibly one of the meanest judges on the east coast. She missed her calling as a prison warden in some high-priority incarceration center.

"So I walked in and she took one look at me, shook her head, mumbled something about pretty boys and said we needed to settle on a plea bargain," he said as he took a sip from his black coffee. "A plea bargain? She hadn't even heard a word out of my mouth and she already made me settle."

"I bet you were a little mad," said Calleigh at his incensed expression.

"Oh I was livid. I said some things I shouldn't and was placed in contempt of the court."

"All on your first day?"

"And my dog ran away," he added for good measure.

"Well, you could write a country song now!" said Calleigh as she returned to her notes as he chuckled at her statement, "I guess it's good that she let you out. How else would we put away Valejo?"

"That's why you're here," he said obviously.

"Oh, clearly," she looked up and smiled at him.

"_Clearly,_" he replied with another smile. They looked at each other a second longer than necessary. As her smile faltered only slightly, he turned back to the case, and they continued going over notes from the crime scene, he verifying events, location of evidence and test results; she offering advice and random pointers from her years as witness for various cases.

At a few times during their review she glanced over to the table in the bar across the way, watching her co-workers, her friends, having a good time. She watched as one-by-one they left slowly, with Ryan and Eric being the last two remaining at the table. Talking and laughing at intervals, smiling at women who walked by, yet doing nothing to invite their presence. She also happened to catch the waitress giving Eric her phone number which he smiled in thanks, but Calleigh turned back to her case before he could look over and catch her watching.

Ryan pushed open the door as he and Eric left the bar, Ryan shaking his head at Eric.

"I don't get you man, why give me her number?" he said as he looked at the piece of paper in his fingers. "She was hot, and certainly willing to show you a good time. She won't even remember me."

"She said we could both use it. I figure you'll get better use out of it," said Eric as they headed towards their vehicles, Eric catching a shot at a pensive Calleigh before he turned away.

"Seriously though," said Ryan as he reached out and touched Eric on the shoulder to stop him. "What's up with you lately? Are you alright or is there someone you're not telling me about?"

"I'm fine and I'm not saying if there is or isn't. I'm just laying low for a while. I still don't feel quite like myself."

"I don't think you'll ever be the way you used to be Eric. Accept that. I kind of like the newer, serious Eric better anyway. I mean, you just seem more mature. Maybe it's time for you to settle down, marry a gorgeous woman, have a couple of kids and a dog named Toto."

"You've given this a little too much thought for my liking," said Eric jokingly.

"Just sayin' man, it's now or never."

"Don't I know it," he said as they approached their cars. "Take it easy. See you in the a.m."

"You too man, drive safe," said Ryan as he shut his door.

Eric sat in his car for a minute after Ryan pulled away, with his head leaning against the head rest, eyes closed. _Ryan has a point. I am different. Am I really ready to settle down though? _

Laughter and voices drew him away from his thoughts as he looked over to see Calleigh being escorted to her crossfire by the Ken doll. The guy had his leather messenger bag slung over his shoulders, hand stuffed in his pockets as he walked along Calleigh, looking down at her with obvious interest restrained by professional decorum. Ken waved to Calleigh as he drove away, then climbed in his Jeep Cherokee and followed her out.

Eric sat there for another minute, rubbing his hands over his face. If the feelings in his chest and head were any indication, maybe Ryan was right. Maybe Eric _was_ ready to settle down.

And he knew exactly whom he wanted to do it with.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 5:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Matt and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: Okay, I've taken liberties with Calleigh's background. If it sounds too bogus, please let me know. This chapter is pretty dense, so enjoy that part. Thanks for reviewing and thanks for reading. Enjoy!

0-0-0-0-0

The lab hearkened early the following morning and Calleigh answered its summons.

"Mornin' Cal, I got something that might interest you," said Jeff as he walked with her down the corridor. He handed her an envelope and waited for her to open it.

"Aw Jeff you shouldn't have," she said facetiously as she opened the lid and peered at the contents within. Inside was a fake prescription for a sleep aid. She'd mentioned off-handedly yesterday that she was hardly getting any sleep lately.

"Trying to drug me into submission?"

"Always," he said without missing a beat. "I'm going to go get breakfast after we go over a robbery, want me to bring you anything?"

"No thanks, already ate," she waved him off as she sat down and trudged through some work that was piling up, hoping to wrap up her case with the John Doe found in the shed at the book murder.

Fortunately enough, by lunchtime, Calleigh found herself without any cases to work, except Horatio's. The team now how had two running cases, which wasn't all that rare. Case load fluctuated so often that the morning and the evening on any given day could differ by at least 2 or 3 cases. Calleigh had her fingers crossed though. She really, really wanted to go home before sunset.

Sighing as she walked into DNA, she knew that would not be the case. Natalia was hidden behind a scope, peering at the microscopic mystery before her. If Natalia had to spend the whole day in DNA, then Calleigh could at least get the rest of the ballistics reports sent out.

"How's it going? Frank told me that y'all traced the drugs to a set up in Sweet Water."

"Sure did. Our little Nicaraguan friends were sending out early Christmas presents in the form of furry, purring fluffballs."

"Delightful. How was Mr. Johnson linked to all of this?"

"It's actually a funny story. Mr. Johnson as you know used to be a veterinarian. About three years ago, long after he'd retired, he'd opened up a small practice suturing up injured felines. Apparently, he'd gotten a cat from the humane society that had this mysterious scar on her abdomen. He, not the Nicaraguans, sought out the ones doing the surgery and told them that if they were going to use animals for their trade, he at least wanted to perform the surgery, so there wouldn't be any complications later on."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh no, and he did it in his spare time. Didn't charge them or anything."

"Working for free? What _is _this world coming to?"

"Nothing good, that's for sure," said Natalia as she picked up another slide. She looked over and saw Calleigh reading over the DNA report from some trace blood found on cat #23.

"So uh, how was your date last night?" asked Natalia nonchalantly.

"Who?" asked Calleigh, a little perplexed. "Oh Elliot? That wasn't a date. He's the lawyer on the big case coming up on Thursday. We had to go over some of his material before he presented."

"And he just so happened to walk out of a Ralph Lauren ad?"

"Well, he is new here, if you want to introduce him around," insinuated Calleigh with an eyebrow quirked.

"Me? No, he looked pretty happy with you, I'll keep it that way."

"Who looked pretty happy?" asked Jake, perched on the doorframe.

"Long time no see, stranger," said Calleigh smiling at the man before her.

"Yeah well, another killer off the streets, what can I say," he said jokingly as he straightened his jacket.

Calleigh pushed off from the counter and turned back to Natalia.

"Let me know if you need any help. I'll be in ballistics."

"Sure thing," said Natalia as she watched Eric pass Calleigh and Jake walking down the hallway. His head followed the petite blonde as he turned into the lab, traces of a frown present.

"Frank and I have three guys in booking right now. He's got a whole mess of people storming their place; apparently they've got a whole case load worth 12 million stored at their house."

"Land of opportunity."

"More like a wasteland."

"Fair enough," she said as she watched him glance at the hallway again, where Calleigh and Jake were barely visible down the hall. Natalia shook her head and rolled her eyes. Why was he acting like this? He never held back before. Why now?

"Are you going to wait until he slips a ring on her finger before making a move?" she said before thinking, her impatience getting the best of her.

"What?" Eric wasn't following.

"Word has it that Detective Berkley means business this time. Just sayin', you might not want to hold back for too long."

"Who Calleigh dates is none of my business, or yours," said Eric as he reshuffled the papers before him.

"So that vein popping out of your neck right now isn't any indication that you care?"

Eric's hand went to his neck immediately then he smiled as he realized Natalia was pulling his leg. He shook his head and backed away.

"I'll be in layout, holla," he said as he walked down the hallway, past Jake and Calleigh.

"What about Friday?" asked Jake, bracing his arm against the wall beside him. This time he was sure to maintain at least three feet of space. Wouldn't want to get another tongue lashing like the last one. Who knew she'd still be bothered by PDA?

Her hesitation showed that she was leaning towards the 'no' end of a response.

"Look, an hour and a half, tops. Good meal, good conversation, good company. I'll even bring you back here and help you get some stuff done if you need it."

"It's just," Calleigh faltered as she saw Eric walk by out of the corner of her eye. Words never came as easy when she had an audience. Seeing Eric shake his head clenched it for her. "Fine. Yeah, Friday. I can do that. Just swing by the lab?" she asked as she tucked a stand of hair behind her ear.

"Will do," Jake said as he pushed off from the wall. Grabbing her hand before she turned to go, he placed a soft kiss on the inner side of her wrist, reminding her of years past. "I'll see you at seven thirty Cal."

She rolled her eyes at his display and walked towards the ballistics lab, feeling minutely like mush.

"_Boys,_" she said to herself as she settled down to clear out the remainder of evidence that needed to be cleared for other cases.

0-0-0-0-0

Jeff plopped a piece of pizza down before him and settled into a chair next to Eric, who was five years deep in Horatio's cases.

"These are all cases that H was lead on, right?" asked Eric as Jeff pulled a long string of cheese off the pizza.

"Sure are," he replied with a half-full mouth. "There would be 10 more boxes here if we had the ones he was secondary on."

"Yeah, I'm fine with these for now."

"Thought so," Jeff guzzled his soda and placed it on the napkin in front of him. "I've only logged four of his sniper cases in the past five years, two of whom were placed on death row, one awaiting parole and the other locked away for life."

"Yeah I was looking for any similarities in weapon choice. Twelve Remington 700s, total. These were either weapons used or found on scene of the crime."

"Hey guys," said Calleigh as she took a seat opposite Eric and Jeff.

"Mornin' Cal," said Jeff.

"It's eight at night," said Eric.

"For you maybe. I just came on shift," shrugged Jeff. "Listen I got to head over to interrogation for a bit. I get to scare the pants off a seventeen year old."

"Can I watch?" joked Eric.

"The more the merrier," said Jeff with a grin as he picked up his file.

"Ha I'm good, thanks though," said Eric as he finished off his soda.

"Suit yourself," said Jeff as he walked towards interrogation.

"Might want to watch it," said Calleigh with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Eric, a little confused.

"From what I understand, Jeff likes his dates with a five-o-clock shadow and to be at least 6"2'."

"Lucky me, I'm only 6"1'."

"For you, he'd make an exception," smirked Calleigh.

"Learn something new everyday," said Eric as he opened another box.

"Don't I know it," said Calleigh. "After putting Ryan on your other less exciting case, and nothing monumental happened, he started to clean."

"You didn't give him bleach did you?"

"He already started before I got to the garage," she said defensively.

"Ryan got into the large tool box didn't he?"

"Oh he conquered that in about ten minutes," said Calleigh as she shook her head at the sight of Ryan with every tool laid out before him, placing them back in pristine order. "If he ever comes near my lab, I may scalp him," said Calleigh with an air of deadly intent.

"Is that before or after you tar and feather him?" replied Eric with chuckle.

"Oh before," she shot back, "definitely."

They smiled at each other over their files and laughed at the thought. Afterwards, they sat in companionable silence looking over the files, but both felt overwhelmed. This wasn't leading them anywhere.

"How's H?"

"As of thirty-three minutes ago, he was counting down the days 'til he is discharged, which is approximately three days and eleven hours."

"You picking him up?"

"Of course," said Calleigh, opening a new file.

"I can help if you want," offered Eric.

"That's okay. I don't really think he wants a welcome wagon. More like a quick drop off and assurance that he isn't forgotten."

"Got it," said Eric, feeling slightly annoyed with himself. Of course H wouldn't want anyone there. He wasn't a fan of showing weakness, much like the rest of them.

At hearing Calleigh yawn he was drawn from his thoughts and looked up at her as she put the file down.

"This isn't getting us anything and I have to go finish some revisions on a paper."

"Yeah I heard about that paper of yours. Trying to keep it on the down low?"

"No, I just figured it wasn't that big a deal. Plus, I understand you are spending the weekend getting recertified."

"Yeah, I'll be spending quality time with the diving team this weekend. We all expire at the end of the month and this was the best time for us to get everything done."

Calleigh stood up and put her pile of folders in a box and shut the lid, writing a note on the outside.

"Don't have too much fun with that."

"Hey, it's the water," he said to her as she stored the box on their cart. "What's not to love?"

"Oh I don't know - the lack of solid ground, the impending doom, the great unknown."

"Chicken?" smirked Eric.

"No, just one too many water rescues for my liking," she said with a little bit more seriousness.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I wasn't thinking," said Eric as he smacked himself in the head.

Calleigh laughed at his gesture.

"No, don't worry about it," she said as she held his gaze. She broke their look at glanced down at the ground, shaking her head. "I'll be working in a corner somewhere. Page me if you need me. Don't stay past nine!"

"I won't if you won't."

He watched her shaking her head as she retreated in the direction of the A/V lab. He let the file he was reading drop to the table as he stared in the distance, trying to figure out how he somehow lost control of the whole situation. Calleigh had "review dinners" with lawyers and "good meals" with Jake, but she didn't seem to be too serious about any of it. This drew a sigh of frustration from him as he leaned back for a stretch, running his fingers through his hair.

If she was using Jake to push him away, then it wasn't going to work. But what if something did happen? What if Jake didn't act like his usual self and got her thinking more long-term? Why did she have such bad taste in men?

He decided to disregard his musings and return to the case. Just looking at the files made him groan desolately. They needed something to happen and they needed it soon.

0-0-0-0-0

Calleigh stepped out the door of her house Wednesday morning at 5:45 and was stopped in her tracks by the wall of heat that greeted her. Turning around immediately, she headed inside to change clothes.

She'd just gotten dispatched to the scene of an officer down and the fact was, she was going to be outside all day long. Tank top it was going to be.

Once again heading out to her car, Calleigh felt that odd sensation again, like she was being watched. She shook her head and placed her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose, letting her eyes scan the area with the cover of eyewear. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Paranoia was getting her nowhere.

Calleigh pulled into the CSI parking garage 35 minutes later and switched out vehicles, climbed into the hummer and headed out towards the scene, noting Eric's car was already in the lot.

6:30 and Calleigh was amazed that she'd arrived that quickly. The scene was already taped off and had officers patrolling the area, alert set high. She spotted Eric squatting next to some blood and walked over carefully, noting any potential evidence along the way.

Frank was speaking with a nearby officer and joined the two CSIs after receiving a file.

"So, Officer Harding was on patrol tonight, pulled over a car that was driving with the right taillight out. The driver, Stephen Jones, said that the officer was standing in front of the driver's side door, giving him the ticket when all of a sudden he fell forward against the vehicle."

"Stabbed once in the back from that direction," gestured Eric.

"Is he going to make it?" asked Calleigh. She knew the officer, they all did.

"He's in surgery right now, trying to repair the damage. The stab wound was made by this long, sharp instrument," said Frank as he described what a medic told him as officer harding was loaded into the ambulance an hour prior. "From what I could tell it was long, sharp and very pointy, however, it had impaled Harding so we couldn't move it."

"Understandable," said Calleigh as she approached the vehicle. "We're going to need that car. Eric how about you go over this area until Natalia get's here, Frank and I'll go talk to the driver."

"Got it."

"About what time did this happen?" asked Calleigh as she and Frank walked over to where the driver was sitting on a curb.

"An hour and a half before sunrise," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It was still pretty dark out, according to the driver."

"Did he see anything?"

"He said a car or two went by while Harding was speaking to him, but he couldn't remember when or what type."

"So this could have been a drive-by incident."

"Maybe, of course, the foliage across the street would have provided excellent coverage."

Calleigh glanced across the street at a dense would area. No good.

"True. So what if the suspect were lying in wait for Harding? There are too many possibilities for this to be feasible. The suspect would have to know who would get stopped, and where Harding typically patrolled in order to have one specific spot to camp out at."

"Here's the thing, the taillight? It's been bashed in, but no other damage to the surrounding area," said Tripp.

"So the vehicle was bait," thought Calleigh as her mind started turning out possibilities. "This means whoever did it, knew that the driver went this way every morning to work, and knew where Harding patrolled every Wednesday."

"The question is how did the suspect know that Harding was at this stop when he was stabbed?" mused Frank.

"Maybe they were trailing him and then went off to the side, out of the way," said Calleigh. "Like you said, it wasn't well lit. Maybe the suspect was driving with lights out or wasn't even in a car."

"Good point," said Frank as they stood before the driver. "This is Calleigh Duquesne, CSI, she's got some questions for you."

"Hi Stephen, I just need to hear one more time what happened when you were pulled over and being as descriptive as possible would help us a lot."

Calleigh stepped away as Stephen rose from his sitting position. He was in his mid 20s, pale, gangly and very afraid.

"I uh, I was on my way to work at the IT place two blocks from here. I had just stopped at that light at 33rd and 13th. I went through the next light and a cop turned left off 34th and was trailing me. After a couple minutes he did the sirens thing and I pulled over. He asked for my license and registration saying that I had a taillight out. He went back to his cruiser and did whatever they do and came back. He handed me my information and I guess he was about to bend down, but all of a sudden he just sort of, fell against the car."

"And you didn't catch any of the vehicles that drove by?"

"No. This was my first time ever getting stopped before. I was a little nervous."

Calleigh smiled at his admission. "Well, we do appreciate conscientious drivers." She looked back down at the notes she had taken and looked back at Stephen. "Do you remember anything else? Or do you remember hearing anything?"

Stephen stood there as he went over the events in his head.

"No I'm sorry, it's all starting to jumble together," he said shamefully.

"Don't worry about it, we appreciate what you could give us," she said as she started to turn away.

"Wait," he yelled as something registered. "Right before he was hit there was this weird sound. Kind of like one of those big Nerf guns, the ones that can shoot tennis balls."

"Great, Stephen, thank you for your help," she said.

She and Frank turned started walking towards the vehicle examining the exterior.

"That must have been one helluva throw or shot, it left a mark on the car," said Frank as he pointed to a mark that had slightly dented the vehicle.

"We'll see if tip of the weapon matches once I go by the hospital. Maybe it'll give us a clue as to how hard it was launched. Let's get this to the lab," she said as she turned around and looked towards the wooded area across the street.

She grabbed a patrol officer and headed across the street.

"What are we looking for exactly?" asked the patrolman.

"Anything and everything," she said with a sigh as they climbed over the shrubbery. Before she took one last step she checked back at the light and saw that it had a camera. Unfortunately, they may have been too far back in order for it to do any good. Perhaps the footage that was shot from the police cruiser would be helpful. She'd get Dan to take a look at it later.

O-O-O-O-O

Wednesday had been the definition of hectic. Calleigh had gone with Frank and a whole mob of cops over to the hospital to check on Officer Harding' status, who was still in surgery. She figured there would be another two hours before surgery would finish and she could even retrieve the projectile.

They hadn't found any evidence of someone positioning themselves in the woods across the street from the accident, leading them to conclude it had been a drive-by.

By lunchtime, Dan had managed to get footage from the vehicle as it left the scene and a half second clip from the police cruiser.

"That is great Dan," said Calleigh as she stood behind him. "Can you magnify the shot so we can get a look at the license plate?"

"Done," he said as he pulled up the screen. "Unfortunately, they were prepared. They blocked out their license plates. Just from the dim lighting though, it looks like the vehicle is off white, white, gray, or silver."

"Something light," Calleigh said with the hint of a grin, "what make is that? A Dodge Plymouth Mini-Van? Who does a drive-by from a mini van?"

"Someone shooting this?" said Natalia as she walked in holding a sharp looking spear about 100 cm long.

"That's from a hand-held spear gun," said Calleigh as she walked over to Natalia, puzzling over the weapon choice.

"Great to know," said Natalia as she handed over the weapon and stood with her hands on her hips. "Frank just dropped it off, he said Harding's in the ICU, but he should be good to go if he makes it through the night."

"I hate the word 'if'" said Calleigh as she continued to examine the spear. "There are entirely too many possibilities contained in it's two letters."

"Is that the van that did it?" asked Natalia as she moved behind Dan.

"Sure is. Both the driver and whoever shot the speargun are completely covered. They were prepared for the cameras, knew where they were going to be and everything. Look!" said Dan as he gestured to the frozen frame on screen. "The driver threw a peace sign with his left hand as he drove by."

"Cocky little hypocrite, isn't he?" asked Calleigh. She finally pulled the spear away and looked at Natalia. "Have fun this morning? It's a little hot out there today. Once again, we have very little evidence for you to go over in DNA, but I was hoping you could help Dan here figure out where that van is."

"My pleasure," said Natalia as she took a seat next to Dan. "You might want to talk to Eric, I think he might have gotten a tread mark from the scene when that van sped away."

"Excellent. I love it when we have something to go off of," said Calleigh as she walked out of A/V and headed towards Layout, in search of Eric.

She found him already scanning the database. Three hours into a new case and her people were machines. She loved it.

"I hear you got a tread," she said as she walked up beside him.

"I hear you got a sharp, pointy thing," he said in the same manner.

"See Natalia?"

"Only in passing."

"Yeah I'm pretty sure it's from a hand-held spear gun, which I'm about to go verify. They use those sometimes in SCUBA diving, right?"

"Occasionally, normally for safety only. It kind of defeats the purpose of shooting what you're trying to look at," he said as he glanced at her. He saw one of the receptionists coming towards them with a file and turned back to the screen.

"Hey Calleigh," said the receptionist. "Some clerk dropped this off for you, it's from the ADA."

"Oh great, thanks a lot," said Calleigh as she took the file and opened it up.

"Bedtime reading material?" said Eric as he looked over at Calleigh again. She took a minute to respond, engrossed in what she was reading.

"No, I hate reading before bed, it keeps me up," she said off handedly. "Oh dear. This, this is no good."

"Is that for your court case tomorrow?"

"Yes and the defense is trying to settle now."

"They can't do that this late," said Eric as he glanced over Calleigh's shoulder.

"Oh, you should see what they're willing to settle for. Someone had to put Valejo up to this._ Wonderful_. I have to go," said Calleigh as she turned abruptly, grabbed the spear and headed out without saying goodbye.

"Yeah, sure Cal, see you later," said Eric to no one. "Yes of course I'll let you know when I get a match on the tread."

O-O-O-O-O

Wednesday wrapped up in a glorious fashion. They had a match on the tread with three possible vehicles; they knew the weapon was a free-shafting Hawaiian Euroshaft, which was indeed a hand-held spear gun that was not attached to anything when released. They also knew there were two suspects and best of all Harding was going to make it.

"Guys, head home, y'all did great today, I really appreciate it," she said as she walked into the break room and saw a lot of the day-shifters hanging around.

Ryan was the first to speak up, "We heard this might be related to Horatio's case, we just want to know if wrapping this case up any sooner will help at all."

Calleigh look at him with her head cocked to the side, slightly perplexed but not showing it. Where they heard these things was beyond her. She and Frank had only just started to formulate that possibility.

She decided to stonewall them all before this got out of hand. "The possibility has been raised, although we don't have anything conclusive at this point."

"Typical politician response. Answering without answering. You should run for office," said Ryan.

"Thanks, but no thanks," she replied as she gave them all a stern look. "Seriously, get out of here, have a nice night out, y'all worked hard today. See you in the morning," she said as she gathered some of the spare pieces of paper on the table.

"You'll call if you come up with anything?" asked Natalia with Valera right behind her.

"Won't hesitate," said Calleigh. "See you."

She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair at the head of the long table, knowing she wasn't fully alone.

"When did you find out that they're linked," asked Eric as he leaned against the counter, his arms crossed.

"Right before I came in here," she said warily. "It was kind of a fluke actually. I found matching trace on the slug from Horatio's shooting and along the shaft of the spear. It was really minute from the slug so I didn't feel too confident as presenting it as evidence, but once it matched the spear, it got to be a little more possible."

"Do you know what the trace is?"

"From what we could see in the video, the shooter was wearing gloves. But not your normal black leather gloves, they looked like workman's gloves."

"Not completely unusual," he said.

"The trace was from a shellfish. We aren't sure which type yet or from what boat. I figured that could be tomorrow's project."

"What are you doing now?" he said as he watched her pull out a stack of papers and her laptop.

"Waiting for Jeff. He knows most of what's going on already, but there are a few things I wanted him to check. And then I have to go meet the ADA again."

"What does Ken have to do with anything?" Eric cringed inwardly at his slip.

"Ken?"

"The ADA…"

"Elliot?"

"Sure, him."

"Where did you get," she paused at the thought. "Are you serious? Do you know how many times growing up I had boyfriends referred to as Ken? Just because I am blonde, does not make me Barbie."

He smiled as she assumed something other than his original meaning. "Sore subject?"

"I spent elementary and middle school with the nickname until the boys realized I didn't have cooties."

"Tragic day I bet," he said as he took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"The worst," she replied as she organized her papers. She paused and looked up at him expectantly. "You know, when I said everyone should go home, there wasn't a hidden meaning in there. We all reached a quitting point at the same time, there's no point in sticking around for nothing."

"You're here," he pointed out.

"I already explained myself, what's your excuse?"

"Jeff called and asked if I could stick around for an hour or two and give him a hand," he replied with satisfaction.

"He better verify that," she said decisively. She continued on in silence as he sat at the opposite end, reading a forensics journal.

Two hours later, Eric was departing just as Calleigh was, although, he knew she was off to meet Ken, or uh, Elliot.

"See you in the morning," he called across the garage as she waved at him while getting into her car.

He had a feeling tomorrow was going to be long, long and tedious.

O-O-O-O-O

Thursday morning Calliegh was due in court. After reviewing the Valejo's case, they learned that a new witness was coming forward who further incriminated Valejo, hence the defense's request to settle. It was going to be a fun day in court.

Calleigh walked down the hall in her business suit reading over her file. She was requested to be in court on the first day and the following Tuesday, which was when Elliot wanted her to testify. She hoped it wouldn't take to long that morning; she really needed to get back and work on the case.

Long had been an understatement. By the time lunch rolled around, she excused herself and headed back to the lab. As important as this case was to her, she'd settle on an update from Elliot later.

That Elliot was something else. He was a nerd disguised as a greek god. He could speak six languages, could read in eight, and loved Lord of the Rings. She was afraid one of the languages he wasn't telling her abut was Elvish. He'd been appalled when she'd mentioned she'd never seen the movies, although she got brownie points for having read the books. Certifiable nerd alright. She now knew why he didn't have a wife and three kids.

Elliot was awfully polite though, and did not have a flirtatious bone in his body. It was like he'd spent his life in the library, hiding his Adonis like features from the world. Looking like he did, she knew his innocence wouldn't last long. She hoped it would though. He was too nice to be ruined by Miami.

The rest of the afternoon was spent researching fishing boats that captured shellfish and looking at their employee manifests. It wasn't looking good. Most of the boats they were looking at were out in the gulf and had been for nearly three days.

Resources were getting strapped as well. Ryan was currently helping Natalia with a new case, a hit and run that hopefully would get resolved by the end of Friday. Eric was interrogating one last suspect from the case with the cats and had been for most of the afternoon.

By the time everyone came together again, it was long past quitting time. Calleigh figured it'd be better to get a fresh start Friday, than drag out work that would require hours of time.

Bidding them farewell, she figured she was due for a walk and went down to visit Alexx. Calleigh's brain was on overload and she could use a little bit of some reconfiguring of sorts. Alexx was the one who tended to offer her marvelous clarity in times that Calleigh couldn't see straight. She just hoped Alexx was in.

Finding the morgue empty, she tried her office. To no avail she headed back the way she came, hoping that Jeff would come back from the field soon so she could stop by the hospital then go home and change and wrap her mind around things.

The paper she'd tidied up last night for David Markoff to look over was sitting before her on the table of the break room. She picked it up but didn't think she could stomach looking at it again. Working on a paper until 2 a.m. was not her idea of a good time. She was not in college anymore, and her midnight writing sessions weren't nearly as productive as they used to be.

The sound of Calleigh taking deep breaths filled the quiet, dark room. She wasn't stressed, per se, more like deeply agitated. It was like she was stuck in quicksand and her only means of escape kept scooting farther and farther back. She walked to the opposite side of the room and poured a cup of lukewarm coffee, which she quickly poured down the sink. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to organize things in her mind.

_Okay, we have two linked incidents that could turn even messier. Eric wrapped up his case, so he is free tomorrow. Natalia and Ryan, will be working their case, and even then Ryan is still stuck here. No good. Frank will probably be helping Natalia interview suspects for her case tomorrow. It'll be me and Eric then, until shift is over. And then... I have something. Oh, gosh, Jake. Taking a break from this case just to get dinner tomorrow is not the best idea. _

If it weren't for something smacking her in her left arm, Calleigh would have continued her inner monologue.

"Sorry Cal," said Jeff as he closed a hand over his mouth, realizing he'd struck her. "Didn't realize your eyes were closed. You know, I've heard that sleeping horizontally is much better for the non-dead. You should try it."

"Aren't you funny?" she said sarcastically as she looked to see a bag M&Ms on the counter that had ricochet off her arm. "Yum, thanks."

"Don't make that your dinner young lady," he said parentally as he settled across from Calleigh at the table.

Calleigh stuck around and updated him of where things were with the case, letting him know how Harding was and explaining their oddly busy day. After she handed off the torch she dropped off her paper in David's office and grabbed her things before heading to the hospital.

As she drove in her car, she prayed that the next day would be somewhat more helpful. Even slightly.

O-O-O-O-O

"Remember back in the day when T.G.I.F. used to be on? That was quality entertainment," said Eric as he sat back in a chair with his foot propped up on the next chair scanning the TV channels for something to watch. "There is _nothing_ on T.V. on Friday nights anymore."

"Speak for yourself, I watched Martin and In Living Color," said Jeff as he tossed Eric a can of soda and took a seat at the table.

"What, Fresh Prince not black enough for you?"

"Kiddin' me? They gave us wealthy Afro-Americans a bad rap," he said as he took a bite of his sushi. "My father was the first black federal judge from the south and my mother was a chemistry professor at FSU. Do you think it ever occurred to them to head out to Beverly Hills and live like that?"

"Cosby show?"

"Yeah, I always did like Theo better than Carlton," said Jeff. "But still," he paused as laughter very similar to Calleigh's interrupted his train of thought. They watched as she said goodbye to Jake and walked towards the locker room. He dropped his voice down and leaned over. "Hey is she actually seeing that idiot again?"

"Who? Jake?"

"Yeah, that confabulating, smug sonofabitch," he said as disdain dripped off his tongue.

"Not a fan?"

"Not for oh, say nearly a decade," said Jeff as he finished his soda, crunched it in one hand and made shot for the recycle bin.

"Did you know him back then?"

"Yeah, him and the missus," said Jeff.

"Wait, you knew Calleigh when she was in the Academy?"

"Knew her? No. Heard of her? Yes," said Jeff as he realized he had Eric's undivided attention.

"You know the yearly competition where each regional academy sends out their best and brightest for a national pissing contest? Calleigh and Jake and two other guys were on our team from the southeastern region which swept the board that year. I was this gnarly looking biochemical engineer who managed to be an alternate. Anyway, everyone knew that they were both fighting it out for number one. We all figured their relationship was a "keep your friends close, your enemies closer" type of deal."

"Basically it was a semi-political relationship?"

"From his end apparently. On her end there appeared to be actual feelings attached. See, things went sour when she started pulling out ahead of him, which let's face it, rarely happens in our field of work. Anyway, third quarter physical testing came around and her scores were called into question. An under-the-table claim had been made that her scores shouldn't count as much in the overall pool of scores because she tested under the women's national qualification standards. He said it wasn't equal."

"That's funny, I don't recall Calleigh ever letting her sex hold her back, you sure she didn't test under the men's qualifications?"

"Oh she did, that's what's so interesting. No one kept 'record' of what she tested under so it was his word against hers, and he had connections with the powers that be, so of course he wouldn't lie."

"I don't get why she let it go, it's not like her," said Eric, not seeing how the story of Calleigh matched with the Calleigh he knew now.

"Well, when you're in love, you tend to let things slide that you wouldn't normally let happen," said Jeff.

"Speaking from experience?"

"Unfortunately," said Jeff as he stood up and stretched, clearly done with the topic. "Alright, we've got to get back to work."

"Yeah yeah, while you were getting your beauty sleep today, I sorted all the files that we can link H and Harding to."

"He even color-coded the year," said Calleigh as she brought in her briefcase and opened it up.

"You said you liked my colors," he said defensively.

"Yes, they're lovely," she placated as she waited for her laptop to wake up.

Eric shot her a look and pulled up all the cases on the reference computer. He looked at his handy work which hadn't taken nearly as long as he thought it would. Luckily they had much of the information from these cases on the network.

"Thirty-two cases all told, none of them involving a sniper or Remington 700s or spear guns. Right now we have 8 cases in which there were casualties or injuries during or around the time of apprehending the suspect."

"That's what you've got so far?" asked Jeff.

"Mostly, some of the files required a little time to acquire, I did what I could."

"No, it's great," said Calleigh. "Jeff, you said you had news. I like news."

"Even if it's bad?"

"Depends on how bad."

"Stetler spoke to me last night. He wants me to start reporting to him. I think he's going to take over the investigation soon."

"I thought you meant news about the case."

"That is news-"

"No, that is the school bully telling you he's going to steal your lunch money tomorrow."

"I know, but what are we going to do? He'll mess everything up if he takes over," said Jeff with the tone of a pouty three-year-old.

"Don't worry about it," said Calleigh as she sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, already moving on to the next topic at hand.

"Alright, Eric you have diving tomorrow and Sunday, have fun with that. Jeff, I think I may have an idea, but I want to double check some things before we go chasing white elephants."

"Elephants?"

"I know, I probably should have stopped talking a few seconds prior to the wildlife," she looked at the two men and sighed. "Give me a break it's been a rough week."

They smiled at her and went back to milling over the remaining cases. Eric kept thinking about what Jeff said earlier. The investigator in him said that if he was going to push the issue, it would be safest to do with an ally in the room.

"So uh Calleigh," Eric said innocently.

"Hmmm?" she replied as stared at her computer screen intensely.

"I understand you went to Nationals back in your academy days," he looked over at her to gauge her reaction.

"Jeffery Moore! You promised," she said with a huff as she looked over at the other man, holding his hands up in the air harmlessly. She gave Eric a look that said 'don't go there' and returned to work.

"I also understand that Jake was in fact, number one."

He totally went there. Calleigh looked at both of them and frowned.

"I'd appreciate it, if you wouldn't talk about things, especially about me, that you know nothing about," she said in a dangerously low voice.

Surprised at her reaction, Eric backed off, throwing Jeff a sideways look. There was clearly a lot more to that story than what he or Jeff knew. Unfortunately, the investigator in him wanted to know more. That, and the fact that he just didn't like Jake.

While Eric was pondering Calleigh's life of many, many moons ago, she was growing increasingly distraught. After the hospital's prognostic report on Officer Harding, something hadn't sat right with her. Not only did the feeling remain, but she had two childish men talking about her behind her back.

Yes, Jake had been number one. Yes, plenty of people thought it should have been Calleigh. Few people had the true story and that was fine with her, because she was just fine with being number two under the circumstances. The situation itself was entirely unfortunate, one which had followed her all of her childhood and still wouldn't let go of her future.

After returning home from Nationals, there were two weeks left in their academy program. The night she came back, she'd found her father sitting on her front steps with a pistol in his lap and a half-drunk bottle of bourbon by his side. Her parents had divorced a while ago and her father had been alright for the most part. Every once in a while, he fell off the wagon and she'd have to stay with him and make sure that he got back on again.

This time, things were different. The Duke was apparently far worse off than she'd originally suspected. He'd lost his job, foreclosed on his tiny house, and the best part, was that he'd wrecked his car in a ditch about a mile from her house. The wreck was the result of a six day binge drinking spree in which he'd almost spent the rest of his money in his bank account on alcohol. Luckily, no one had been harmed.

After skipping class one day, Jake wondered what Calleigh had been up to, since her behavior was so erratic and uncharacteristic. He wouldn't buy her 'sore loser' excuse and followed her to the detox facility she'd checked her father into. Until then, she hadn't told him much about her childhood and he finally understood why after watching her speak to the anguished man.

At that point, Calleigh had a choice: finish the academy, or take care of her father. Jake urged her with all his might to finish the academy, telling her that taking care of her father was going to turn into a vicious cycle if she didn't let go. When she showed up to class three days later, her instructors were put off by her 'family emergency' excuse and told her they'd see her in a few weeks when a new class began. It was Jake who talked her instructors into letting her stay, letting her finish all the work and turn it in without a deduction in points. It was Jake who even got the instructors to let her keep her class rank and not let her come in last place as they preferred.

Since she had missed a minor test, she'd officially dropped to number two and Jake number one. It was the only time she'd ever been happy with getting second place. When they finished, they'd both gotten assigned to New Orleans Police Department, but not long after, Jake had been recruited by the ATF to participate in a joint undercover investigation. It started out fine, but after a few months, Jake had become less dependable and was starting to exhibit the same behavior she'd seen in both her parents.

Faced with a difficult decision, Calleigh spoke with Jake and made him choose: her or the job. With much debating and sleepless nights, he'd chosen the job, and a dejected Calleigh vowed that her trust would be given sparingly, and her heart, even less.

And now, after dining with Jake twice, Calleigh saw a glimmer of the young man she knew back in the academy. He had been bright and self-assured bordering on arrogance, quick on his feet and always ready for a laugh. The past few years had been rough on him as well; from some of his stories she could tell nothing had been easy. He'd been shot twice, hospitalized for a serious concussion, lost his partner, had several meaningless relationships and nothing to really show for it all.

Still, the matter remained that they were trying to figure out if this unresolved relationship should be rekindled or laid to rest. He still had feelings for her; he'd made that very clear. But now she didn't know what to think. Jake wasn't the type of guy that settled down. He sometimes thought he was, but no matter how hard he tried, there was this restless spirit about him. And with her record, she really didn't think she was up for another lap around the proverbial track.

There was so much going on that a relationship was one of the last things she wanted to consider at that point. Jake might act like a pompous jackass sometimes, but for the most part, he was exactly what she needed. He already knew most of the gory details about her family - she didn't have to explain things to him. In some ways, being with him would jut be easier.

Calleigh looked up and found Eric studying her. He wasn't trying to hide it either. It was like he was trying to figure out if she was the piece that fit the puzzle in his head.

Suddenly Jeff got up and walked down the hall muttering something under his breath.

"What?" she asked quietly as she continued reading the words on the screen.

"You don't settle for second," said Eric thoughtfully. "Ever. It's not your M.O."

"Maybe," she paused briefly, "maybe I wasn't settling."

Cryptic. How nice.

Eric leaned back in his chair and twirled a pen in his hand. She was being evasive on purpose.

"Why won't you-"

"I have an idea!" stated Jeff quickly as he stormed back into the breakroom.

"There are entirely too many things suspect about this case. We have nothing except for the actual people injured. No conclusive evidence and no apparent reasoning behind any of these attacks. There has to be something triggering them."

"Yeah, that's what I've been working on all day," said Calleigh. "Okay what typically causes an attack in which there aren't fatalities but wounds that do decent damage?"

"Someone with a message?"

"Someone wanting revenge?"

"The need to make a point?"

The three of them threw ideas around until ten o'clock that night. They'd narrowed it down to five possible cases, two of which Calleigh had been lead. At this point, things weren't looking good. For their investigation, or for Calleigh.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

A/N: abrupt ending? Yes, but this chapter was going to extend forever if I didn't stop it. Hope it was decent. Let me know what you think about Calleigh's background. I can always come up with more plausible ideas.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 6:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Underwater recovery and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock. I have no affiliation nor bias against: Rob Lowe, Iowa, George Mason, University of Florida, or Mercy Hospital.

A/N: Ok, part of a scene below is based off a spoiler from the season finale that never aired so copyright that too. I brought it to fruition, my way. RL is kicking it up right now, so apologies on the wait. This chapter was semi hard to write, so if it is in need of some more TLC, let me know, it won't hurt me a bit. Enjoy!

O-O-O-O-O

Calleigh sighed as she gathered the results of her research from the day, thinking of all the people she needed to contact. This case wasn't going to end until they caught the guys, and right now, she wasn't even sure who was taking revenge.

She grabbed her briefcase and her laptop, storing it away safely inside. Looking at the three-inch thick folder on the table she grew wary. Maybe she could call Jeff and ask him to give her a hand. No, this was his night off; he needed to be away from the lab just as much as everyone else. Eric wasn't exactly an option. She still needed to figure out a way of portraying this whole scenario without it seeming like she was in any danger.

Which, admittedly, she was; however, she was not one bit predisposed to being the damsel in distress. The last thing she needed right now was someone worrying about her well-being. Swinging the case over her shoulder she logged out of the network on the lab's computer and shut the lights off. As she traversed the halls of the lab her mind tumbled over possible ways of handling this situation.

Once outside she took a deep breath, but even then couldn't really catch one. The hot, humid air was like a blanket, wrapping around everything it encountered. As much as she liked Miami, she wouldn't mind experiencing a less humid climate.

Walking towards the parking garage, she was stopped in her tracks by a truly original declaration.

"Calleigh Duquesne, love of my life, destroyer of hearts, crusher of life forces, where _have_ you been with that gorgeous hair of yours!?"

She turned with a smile and saw a well toned man, mid-40s with the beginnings of salt pepper hair around his temples. When Ian Fleming designed his character of James Bond, he'd been channeling the mind of the man before her.

"I do declare," she said with an unconsciously thicker accent. "Jacques Rochefort, it is a pleasure seeing you again."

"Oh come now, ma cherie, it has been far too long since I last saw you in New Orleans. I hear your father works here now," he said as he placed two large black duffle bags on the ground.

"He sure does, public defender," she replied with a mixture of pride and earnestness.

"That is fantastic. I can't imagine a better man for the job. He certainly has done well for himself in the past couple of years."

"Why thank you. He sure has," she replied as she brushed her hair out of the way, shielding her eyes from the sun. "What brings you all the way to Miami?"

"As you know, I've been working in Jacksonville for the past year," he said as he pointed to his T-Shirt with the logo on the left breast. "I got a nasty sinus infection in March when they were doing SCUBA recertification in my area. The option remained for me to drive down here for a weekend of fun, or to go over to Pensacola next month, which is not nearly as appealing."

"Hardly," she replied with a grin.

Just then the lab's truck drove by them pulling a motorboat outfitted to the brim with SCUBA gear. Two more trucks followed behind it, parking near the vehicle. The sounds of laughter and male voices filtered out of the cabs of all three tucks.

"Why didn't you come back with them?" she replied confused.

"Oh, I had my own means of transportation," he said, pointing to the Harley parked to their left. It was truly a thing of beauty, shiny chrome and dark blue paint.

"You finally finished it?"

"But of course, ma belle fille," he said as he looked at his bike lovingly.

"Still the only love in your life?"

"Fortunately," he said mischievously. "She won't leave me, she won't cheat on me, and best of all, I can ride her whenever I want."

"Oh Jacques you devil," she replied with a laugh.

"Hey Cal," yelled Eric from one the trucks, "can you give us a hand?"

Calleigh turned back and sucked in a breath as she looked towards the trucks. Eric Delko shirtless, in swim trunks and bare feet. _Lord, what have I done in my life to deserve such torture?_ She asked silently as she started walking over to the truck with Jacques in tow.

"Do you know this Eric?" asked Jacques covertly.

"I do indeed. Why, should I be alarmed?"

"No, certainly not, I was simply curious. He's very knowledgeable about the water around here. An excellent diver."

"Yes, so I've noticed," said Calleigh distractedly as she watched Eric passing nearly empty oxygen tanks to another guy, what was his name? Phillip? Who cared? Eric's biceps had her attention. And the way his back muscles contracted when he bent over. _Goodness it sure is hot out here._

Eric smiled to himself as he bent over and handed off the last tank to Phil. They didn't really need her help, but she didn't need to know that. How could he pass up the chance to show her what she was missing out on?

Calleigh watched as Eric climbed down gingerly from the truck, still mindful of his bad leg. She wondered how that wound was doing. There hadn't been a circumstance lately that required him to run, but she figured he would have pushed through the pain regardless.

"What do you need?" she asked as she got close to the truck, still out of the way of the unloading mayhem around her.

"Howdy, Calleigh," said Bobby Sharpe as he walked by, a SWAT officer and Eric's fellow diver.

"Bobby, nice to see you," she smiled at him as Eric walked over, glistening with sweat and… glistening.

"What?" said Eric as he looked at Calleigh, rolling up some rope with his marvelous arms. Calleigh watched him for a second and frowned disapprovingly. She had in fact been through high school where this manly display of strength had occurred many times before. She was now waiting for him to actually flex his biceps and point to 'the gun show'.

"Give it up, Delko," she stated knowingly, hands placed firmly on her hips. "Do you actually want anything or not?"

"Oh it wasn't for me, you looked like you needed something," he said with full on flirtatiousness. She quirked an eyebrow. Was the old Eric back?

"Really," she said, her voice low and drop-dead sexy. "And what might that be?"

Eric ran his fingers through his closely shaven hair, trying not to breakdown and run for cover. He took a step forward, as though closing the already explosive proximity between them would be a better idea.

"It looks like it's been a long time," he paused for effect, "since you've had a hug."

Before Calleigh knew it Eric was reaching out with his formerly glistening, but now gross and sweaty arms towards her. Without even thinking, she sidestepped his advance, grabbed his left wrist, twisted it behind his back and had him kneeling on the ground.

"Woo hoo hoo," yelled one of the divers. "Looks like Delko got schooled."

"Aw man, she showed you buddy. Might want to watch it," said Phil as he bent down beside a grimacing Eric.

"Yeah, thanks. I got that," he replied as Calleigh finally let him up.

"Oh Eric," she replied as he rubbed his sore wrist. "Silly, silly man. What, did you think I would fall for that? I do have two brothers you know."

"I can tell, thanks Cal," he replied with a sore ego. "Actually, I had a question for you," he said more seriously, pulling her aside.

Calleigh looked at him carefully as he crossed his arms before her, whether that was an unconscious move of surrender or a more defensive position, she couldn't tell.

"Is there a reason why Tony was watching me like a hawk all day? At one point he told me to hold back. He never tells anyone to hold back."

Calleigh sighed lightly at his irritation and pulled her sunglasses off her face and placed them in her hair. She knew this was going to happen.

"I was obligated to let Tony know of your medical clearance before you went out. As the diving team and underwater recovery coordinator he has a right to know."

"So instead of trusting me to act on my own accord and inform him you went over my head?" he didn't intend to sound so angry, but it was more fear of failure than anything that drove him.

"No, I sent him an interoffice letter of notification two weeks ago, giving him an update of your status. Apparently diving too deep is bad for people who've sustained gun shot wounds to the head," she stated, growing slightly irritated.

Eric watched as she looked down and shook her head, chuckling to herself.

In no mood to be berated for doing her job, she bent down and picked up her bag. Glancing up at him one more time she gave him a small smile and said, "I hope you had a great time out there today. Jacques said you were an excellent diver. It must have been nice to get back in the water with such great weather."

Without waiting for him to respond she turned to walk away but paused as she felt Eric's hand on her arm.

"Cal, -" he said with a deep breath, the tiredness in his features evident.

"I get it," she said quietly as she patted him on the hand and walked away, not asking for, nor needing an apology or explanation.

He stood there with his hands clasped behind his head as he watched her walk away, a little bit of a saunter in her step, because she knew he was watching.

"Tough luck, Delko," said Bobby as he patted Eric on the back. "C'mon let's get out of here and grab some beers."

Eric shook his head to clear the fog and turned around as he helped the guys store the rest of the equipment. Feeling the bittersweet strain of his muscles as he stretched to reach a face mask he sighed. Tired could not begin to explain how he felt. He was out of shape and out of luck.

O-O-O-O-O

Sitting back in her chair on her patio that evening, Calleigh closed her phone and rubbed her hand over her face. She'd called Frank and they'd had a lengthy discussion as to what she should do. Tomorrow she, Frank and Horatio would notify all the individuals associated to a case on which she'd been primary CSI over a year and a half ago.

The whole situation had been unordinary, but she was very aware of how serious it was. She'd provided the evidence that convicted a first time offender, guilty of six counts of second degree murder. All six murders occurred when an irate man with an unlicensed firearm, Charlie Redding, decided to confront the drug dealers who had been putting less than pure marijuana in his purchases and over charging him. He'd happened upon them during a card game in the 'distribution' house. The situation escalated quickly and soon became violent.

The first murder involved two gun shot wounds to the chest, the second one fatal. The second victim appeared to be more as a byproduct of a struggle, in which the victim had fallen on a broken chair leg, impaling him in the heart. The third and fourth suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the thigh and abdomen, and the fifth had been pushed out a window, where he landed wrong on some brick stairs that descended to the patio below. The sixth had been taken as a hostage, but was finally killed as a result of a poor negotiation.

Much of the case was simple collection of evidence, interviewing Redding personally, evaluating his mental status and trying to understand his reasoning. At the time she hadn't been very understanding, and now she didn't know how she felt.

Reading over the case again, Calleigh was reviewing some of the details that hadn't seemed so important at the time. Redding had been purchasing the marijuana for his older sister who had been undergoing chemotherapy for lymphatic cancer. Redding was the oldest of five children, his sister second oldest, and the rest were three boys, all men in their mid to late 20s. Looking over each personal record, one was a marine; one was a former wrestler from Iowa now in law school at George Mason; and the third was in a PH.D. program at the University of Florida.

In light of all that had happened with Eric and his sister, she felt obligated to change the way she thought. The issue remained however, that Redding had killed six people in the act of committing a crime. It didn't help that he tested positive for drugs at the time of arrest and did not deny having taken any. It appeared that he'd smoked marijuana accidentally laced with PCP.

Calleigh stood and backed away from her patio table, now cluttered with files and crime scene photos. Heading towards her refrigerator she realized she probably had no food. Upon opening the door she saw half a carton of milk, two boxes of leftovers and a mysterious looking plate of something with fuzz. Tossing it all, she looked around for her keys. When was the last time she'd eaten at home? Or eaten at all?

Yes, the grocery store it was going to be. Disregard the fact that it was ten at night. She needed real food. And a chance to clear her mind. There was nothing as mind-numbingly wonderful as looking at 100 different types of cereal to overwhelm her just to the point of brain dead. She'd go to bed early that night. Maybe get a full night's rest. The prospect was very exciting to her.

O-O-O-O-O

Apparently stress had something to do with one's inability to sleep. However, Calleigh didn't really consider herself stressed. All in all, she felt like she was handling things well, she just wasn't expelling the pent up feelings inside of her. Since these feelings ran the gamut of agitation to yearning, she felt that the best way to relieve it was a nice jog. Just like the old days.

Unfortunately, it was two a.m. and running outside didn't seem like a feasible option. Treadmill to the rescue. She hated treadmills. Something about doing all that running, but never actually getting anywhere seemed entirely too unproductive for her. Still, she had all this energy and feelings that needed to be physically expunged from her body, and that was her only option.

She wasn't a natural runner, but she could hold her own given the opportunity. Despite the hours she spent in the lab, she still managed to maintain her fitness. At any given time she could possibly huff out 5 miles, even in 2 inch heels. Just kidding. Only a mile in heels.

Coming up on mile two and she was to the point of frustration. Nothing was going the way it should in her life. She could feel how tense the muscles were in her back and the actual contraction of each muscle in her legs. Each time her foot fell upon the rubber tread, another issue popped into her head, another person to argue with, another bullet to fire. She purposefully stomped each issue to oblivion.

It was a horrible metaphor for her to be acting out, but everyone had their coping mechanisms. Hers were to bottle them up until all the compressed matter building inside her forced itself out, usually through physical activity. It was all quite logical and elegant really. She could probably write a physics-based theorem on the whole concept and apply it to psychology.

Oh the ideas she got when she was running.

Moving along. Horatio would be picked up tomorrow. Today, actually. That should be an adventure. Nothing better than a bed-ridden CSI to make things complicated.

Goodness, she forgot how painful mile three was. Keep pushing.

Never.

Give.

Up.

Things were working well with Eric and Jeff. A great team the three of them made. Eric was a little irritated at her today, wasn't he? Not a big deal, she expected it. It was going to be a fun week ahead once the whole team was made aware of the status of this case.

How long before a press conference need be held?

Hopefully a few days. She hated wasting time with those things when she could be doing real work. How on earth had Ryan found that line of work even moderately appealing?

Next order of business? Where were the two men from the video hiding? Was one actually a fisherman? Were they Redding's three brothers, working under their sister's bidding? Colleagues? Or were they paid to order?

She thought a tenth of a mile longer on it and decided that they were probably relatives. They were trying to make these acts personally impersonal. Acting out in a way that meant something to them without actually having to make physical contact.

The message behind the madness didn't intrigue her nearly as much as who their next target would be. Horatio then Harding? They weren't going for levels of hierarchy if that was their reasoning. Perhaps it was degree of participation in the case. Horatio helped interview, but that was it. Harding had been the arresting officer and testified at trial.

The only thing working in her favor at that point was the fact that the suspects didn't know she knew or had a clue. And she was almost positive this was the case. Right before she began running, she realized what had initiated the violent acts. On a hunch, Calleigh had checked hospital records in the county around the time when Horatio had been shot. Redding's sister, Gloria Redding, had been admitted to the Miami Cancer Center at Mercy hospital while he awaited sentencing in lock-up. Gloria was holding on by a thread, which made this matter all the more time sensitive.

Knowing how long law enforcement had and how many people were in danger was one thing. The only problem was how to protect the possible victims.

This was a nightmare. As were her screaming thighs. Her hamstrings were calling for her to throw in the towel. She hated when her body betrayed her. How could it not outlast her brain?

Pushing onwards, she was nearing mile five and relatively proud of herself. Calleigh hadn't had a chance to run since Horatio had been admitted to the hospital.

She looked down at her watch to check her time, disregarding what the machine said. Noticing her own glossy arms, she was reminded of Eric earlier that day, wrapping up the rope and handling the oxygen tanks. The man knew how to work it; she had to give him credit for that.

If they hadn't been spending so much time with each other lately, she felt confident that he would have moved on by now. Maybe she should introduce him to one of her friends over in the state attorney's office. He didn't like lawyers though. And he was awfully flirtatious today. Perhaps his old ways would return. If so, then this crush would dissipate and she could move on with life.

The thought of Eric dating other women made an unwelcome feeling return to her stomach. Over the course of five years, she'd grown accustomed to his ways, sometimes disapproving of his choices and other times questioning his sanity. But now, she was simply concerned that if he chose someone now, would she actually be the right woman for him? Would he get serious with her? Would she have to watch it happen?

The mere thought of it all made her unconsciously quicken her pace. Without there being proof that he had even met anyone she grew irritated, and dare she think it? Jealous. This would not do. She could not have feelings like that for him. It was unprofessional and could cloud her judgment. There was no way she'd sacrifice her work and the reputation of the lab for a relationship.

Then why was it so hard to focus around him lately?

Dwelling on that subject was not going to get her anywhere. Those were feelings she decided that were better to be repressed. Deep, deep within.

Upon reaching mile marker 5.6 Calleigh decided to call it quits. She paced back and forth down the long hallway in her house, trying to catch her breath between interims of guzzling water. After cooling down she took a long shower, letting the hot water beat over her wonderfully tired muscles.

Sleep came much easier as she lay in bed, her head still full of ideas, many of which were numbed by the feeling of sheer exhaustion. Taking a deep breath and blowing out slowly, she felt a little bit lighter, amazed at the redeeming qualities of running.

O-O-O-O-O

"How much longer do you have to stay home?" asked Calleigh as she began to call the 17th person on the list of people affiliated with the case. It ranged from lawyers to security guards to witnesses.

She and Horatio had gathered around his dining room table at his home, waiting for Frank to show up with a couple more files. Horatio took a sip of water and scratched at his propped up feet, sighing when he couldn't reach far enough to scratch them. Without missing a beat, Calleigh reached over and found the itch, getting a smile of gratitude in return.

"About that," said Horatio as he flipped the pen around in his fingers examining the list again. "The doctors were a little unclear on that matter. I should be in by Wednesday."

Calleigh glanced at him and sighed. She would expect this behavior from Eric or Ryan, but Horatio? This was the first time she seen him seriously injured. Did he really think she was going to let him just cruise right in when he couldn't possibly perform his duties responsibly?

"So, you would be perfectly fine running the length of a football field to protect a child, then shooting the bad guys and carry the kid all the way back to safety?"

Horatio looked at her with his no negation stare and she returned with one just as firm. She could take him.

He looked down at his paper as he realized it was a losing battle. She had to have already read the discharge papers. With a deep sigh and a long gaze out his windows, he turned the page and frowned.

"I'm not due back until next week. I thought you didn't ask questions you already knew the answer to," he said, scratching his neck with the dull tip of the pen. "Don't burn the lab down in the meantime."

Calleigh smiled at his response at picked up the phone to call number 18 of 65. It was going to be a long Sunday afternoon.

"Do you have any food?" asked Calleigh as she heard the dial tone on the other end.

At his absent stare she shook her head and rolled her eyes, then responded politely to the voice on the other line, not betraying any of the frustration she felt.

Make that a really long afternoon.

O-O-O-O-O

Monday would have been fantastic, were it not for the fact that she had not one, but two run-ins with Stetler. She also didn't have her weekly lunch with her dad, which never started the week off right.

The first encounter was as expected. He wanted to take over the investigation. She didn't waver in the slightest. From direct contact, she'd learned that the sheriff was actually the one who appointed her in charge of the investigation; Stetler was just the middle man. Empowered by this knowledge, she was pretty sure she may have scared him a little.

Calleigh had long ago mastered the technique of letting people think they were getting what they wanted until she was long gone, and then they realized they had nothing at all. Some would call it a gift. She called it good old fashioned 'haggling'.

The second time, which was after two dead bodies was found in a residential neighborhood, a slight altercation between Jake and Ryan, and an atypical mistake, Stetler had a little bit more to bargain with.

It began with Calleigh and Eric going to a house out in Coral Gables where an elderly woman lived with her son. The mother had been found in the living room with her oxygen tubing wrapped around her neck multiple times and her son killed by what appeared to be blunt force trauma. After Alexx examined the bodies, Calleigh and Eric spent a good part of the morning going over the scene and talking about Horatio's case.

Eric couldn't deny that he wasn't impressed at all Calleigh had done over the weekend. However, he still felt more could have been accomplished if she'd had him and Jeff working during the evenings. Her reasoning was that just because she had to be there, didn't mean they had to participate.

But now the case was starting to look a lot more serious, especially since she had been the primary CSI. Much more was at stake this time around.

As they processed the scene, Jake had arrived relatively early on and had been interviewing neighbors and the home care nurse for a large portion of the time. Eric watched when Jake spoke with Calleigh occasionally, but save for a rather friendly hello, they'd both been perfectly professional. He wasn't sure if it was for his sake or if it was because that's how they were going to be. Either way, he kept taking pictures and picking up evidence like a good CSI.

The only problem arose when a well intentioned Jake handed Eric some evidence with his bare hands that Eric actually said something.

"You touching that tube without wearing gloves can compromise the evidence."

"Yeah, I didn't do it on purpose, give me a break."

"We don't really have room for breaks in homicide investigations."

"Really? No kidding," said Jake sarcastically as he stood up. "Thanks for telling me about my job. How about you do yours?"

Eric just shook his head with his jaw clenched as Jake walked off, presumably to his cruiser.

Later that afternoon, Eric was logging in his evidence and he mentioned something to Ryan about the tubing having Jake's prints on it.

"Great, so if there was trace left behind, we have to pick through his smudges to find it?"

"Relax," said Eric, glancing at Ryan tentatively. Ryan was getting stir crazy from being in the lab too long. "He didn't grab too much. I think it just matters where he grabbed it. I think it'll be okay."

Unfortunately, it wasn't. Later that afternoon Jake had followed the evidence around to get more of a lead on his suspects and ended up in front of a testy Ryan.

En route to trace herself, Calleigh was surprised that of all the people to actually get into something with Jake, it'd be Ryan. In Ryan's defense, Jake had come into the situation ready for a battle, trying to account for his own faux-pas.

"You've had that sample for three hours. How can you not have anything yet?" asked Jake as he stood before Ryan.

"I don't know, maybe if you'd kept your hands off all the evidence I wouldn't have to determine what was yours and what was the suspect's."

"Delko get a little pissed because I handed him a tube? Forgive me for trying," said Jake as he put his hands on his hips. "Cut the condescension crap and get over yourself. From the way I understand it, you've already messed up plenty of evidence. Maybe I should get someone else to take a look at it. Where's that rookie?"

By then Calleigh had heard most of what both of them had said. She shook her head in irritation and sighed. Could there not be one good day? Just one?

Ryan opened his mouth to speak but Calleigh walked in to cut him off before he said something she knew he'd regret.

"Detective Berkely, I'm pretty sure you'll find the son's tox screen much more interesting and helpful. Why don't you take a look at it in DNA while I help Ryan finish up in here?"

"Coming to Wolfe's rescue?"

"No, just doing my job," said Calleigh as she passed by him and stood behind the counter, gloving up and waiting for Ryan to pass her another sample for analysis. She glanced up at Jake who was frowning slightly. "It's on the counter just across the hall; I highlighted what will be of interest of you. I think Natalia can give you a hand with the rest."

She heard him mutter, 'unbelievable' as he walked away and she took in a breath, trying not to kill Ryan with her death-ray like stare.

"Look, I'm sorry, he caught me on a bad day," said Ryan as he passed her another sample. "It's just… he walks around here like he owns the place and then he expects everything immediately. He needs to understand that's not how we work."

Calleigh remained silent, waiting for Ryan to finish venting. After five minutes he'd already lectured himself into regret and did all of her work for her. In the near future she could just post a picture of her looking displeased anywhere near him, and he'd handle the rest.

In ten minutes they'd managed to get enough trace off the tubing and other material at the scene to determine that the individual had an analgesic on his or her glove when they were committing the crime. With regards to the son in the kitchen, she and Eric had determined on scene that he'd been hit with the corner of a heavy cookie storage tin in the right temporal lobe. Alexx told them this caused an epidural hematoma, in which he bled out into his brain.

All in all, the case wasn't very mysterious. She had a good idea of who had committed the crime, and was just waiting for a little more evidence before they brought in two of the suspects for questioning. It would have been a good case for a rookie to work. Something not too hard and not too easy, but good for building confidence.

Feeling something vibrate at her hip, Calleigh looked down at her pager and took her leave of Ryan, asking politely that he get his temper under control and to play nice with Homicide.

Eric heard the staccato click of Calleigh's approaching steps and he stiffened. He'd paged her a few minutes ago after he discovered something was amiss. Earlier at the scene he'd grabbed a sheet of paper last minute, thinking it was nothing. Now it appeared to have a little more importance than he'd granted it. The problem was, he'd been hurrying to get out of the rain which now entrenched the city, and uncharacteristic as it was for him, he tossed the evidence in the back of the hummer and took off. Now, all that remained was a half smudged page with little to no finger prints, even by his standards.

"Hey what's up?" she asked, as she walked over to Eric, slipping on some gloves.

"Remember how it started to rain while we were on scene?"

"Yes," her response was clipped, her mind going over the possibilities of where this could be headed.

"Well, I," he stopped himself from making excuses and just came out with the issue. "I was careless and I didn't follow protocol with storing this," he said as he held up what looked like the remains of a threatening letter. "It's almost destroyed, but I got a little bit of a print off it, not enough to do any good though."

Calleigh stood beside him for a second, contemplating her next move. He'd been upfront with her, and hadn't tried to hide it. It's not like she didn't have her hands full already, so as long as he could fix this, she didn't see the problem.

"And the partial didn't match anything from the victims or the possible suspects?"

"No."

"You got that from the son's room?"

"Yes. I didn't see any other letters though."

"What about his computer?"

"I think Dan has it connected in A/V lab. I'm headed there next."

"Did you get the printer?"

"Yeah, I already established that the paper didn't match. Plus he has an average ink-jet printer. This letter came from a laser-jet printer."

"Excellent. So what's the problem?"

"I destroyed the letter," said a baffled Eric, stating the obvious as he pointed to it.

"Do you plan on destroying letters for the rest of your time here in Miami?" asked Calleigh evenly.

"Of course not, I just thought you should know. And you should be aware that we possibly have another suspect."

Calleigh had carefully taken the letter, which was now encased in a plastic sleeve, and read over it, scanning it for anything suspicious or helpful. Most of the words on the second half were blurred from rain damage, but the letter still conveyed a strong sense of anger and frustration with only the first paragraph in tact. Her eyes moved over the letter one more time, before halting on a phrase that looked unusual with the rest of the letter.

"What do you think this means" she asked as she held the letter up a little bit higher and over for Eric to read.

Moving in closer to Calleigh, Eric followed her gloved finger over a line near the end of the paragraph. He tried to, at least. He hadn't anticipated what the actual minimization of proximity would do to him. It was dizzying almost, being able to smell her scent and have the warmth of her body so close. Shaking his head a little, he tried to understand exactly what she was saying as he read over the letter.

"The whole tone of the letter was angry until this line, 'You knew how I felt about you, how much I cared for you, but you just brushed my feelings aside like they were nothing…" Calleigh paused for a second, contemplating. "When do you say something like that?" she turned to look up at him and, finding him much closer than she anticipated, she moved her head back a little.

Looking down at her he couldn't help but smirk. She almost looked… bothered by his closeness. He shrugged in reply, feeling like he could almost identify with the composer of the letter.

Eric looked at the letter then looked back at her; the air between them almost crackling with the pent up energy and tension. He replied softly, "I guess… when you love someone and they don't love you back?"

Calleigh felt her stomach lurch. She really needed to go check… something. Anything. And here it comes again. Talking. Without thinking. Brilliant.

"Maybe, that's not the case," she replied in a small voice, still looking up at him. Realizing that she was going in the completely opposite direction, she reigned in her thoughts and looked back to the letter. "Unrequited love, what can be harder than that?"

She placed the letter on the table and walked to the trash can, throwing her gloves away.

Eric shook his head at her and smiled, not believing her comment at all.

"What would _you_ know about unrequited love?"

Calleigh crossed her arms in front of her, glancing to the side shamefully. "I will have you know that I was apart of the Rob Lowe fan club when I was 13. Who didn't love the brat pack? Not once did he reply to a letter."

"I find that hard to believe," said Eric as he chuckled.

"What, that he didn't write back, or that I was in his fan club."

"Ha, the latter. You don't seem like you were the fangirl type."

"Well, not after Rob Lowe ruined me I wasn't," she said with a smile.

"Calleigh? Can I see you for a second?" said an excited looking Jake as he called from the doorway.

"Certainly," she said as she headed towards the exit. "Eric?"

Eric had his face down, seriously investigating this letter so as to curtail the ensuing feeling of disdain at seeing her even speak with Jake.

"Yeah?" he replied, his head still pointed down.

"Don't let it happen again," she said lightly and with that, she was off.

A deep sigh emitted from Eric preceded a few more hours of contemplation and excitement in the A/V lab with Dan.

Jake began rambling immediately about the possibility of two suspects, one he liked in particular for the son's murder. Cutting him off with a raised hand, she gave him her best 'don't mess with me' look, stating, "Never undermine me in front of anyone I work with, ever. And do not pick fights with my CSIs." Her intent hadn't been to lay claim to the team as hers, but she certainly felt like it some times.

Calleigh paused for a moment as he scratched the back of his neck and nodded his head. Giving him an about-face of a smile, she continued, "now, please explain why you're so excited about this woman."

O-O-O-O-O

Hours later, Calleigh found herself in the land of Supervisoria, fending off an attack from Stetler.

"I don't know what's been going on lately, but I spoke with Jeff and he's got nothing for me, Wolfe is close to kicking his own ass out of here and Delko is being a screw up again. I don't know if we misunderstood each other this morning, but I want to make it clear that I don't permit these kinds of things in my lab."

Rick Stetler had his hands propped on his hips, feet spread apart in a sign of irritation that matched his voice. Remaining calm as ever, Calleigh looked at Stetler steadily, not once breaking eye contact as she responded.

"I can assure you that every situation is under control, and that we have recovered all that we need for this case."

"What about the case that really matters? The one that is making the law enforcement of this city look like sitting ducks?"

"Horatio and I have a lead on his case and have contacted those who could possibly be in danger; Frank and I are doing some field work tomorrow, and once that is finished I'll give you an update."

"I don't want Horatio on this at all. He could ruin our chances of making this a clean investigation. Listen, if you don't have anything for me by the end of the week, or if another officer gets hurt, I'm taking over."

Calleigh nodded but did not remain quiet. "I will remind you that you are not actually the one who placed me in charge of this investigation, the Sheriff did. And as a matter of fact, he is current on all happenings of this case. Secondly, Horatio wasn't interfering; he was helping me make phone calls." Calleigh pushed off from the table she was leaning against, facing him head on. "In the future, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't dictate my responsibilities to me or tell me what to do about my CSIs. I'm well aware of what's expected of me. So if you'll please excuse me, I'd like to return to interrogation now, I have a case to break."

With that she turned towards the door, hand ready to push it open when Stetler said something to make her pause.

"You're turning out to be just like him."

"Like who?"

"Horatio."

"Why thank you Rick," said Calleigh with a smile and some southern charm. "I do believe that's the nicest compliment I've had in a good while."

Calleigh left him standing in the vacant room, shaking his head in dismay.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: A little crazy right? I am not trying to turn Calleigh into a Mary-Sue. My goal here is to eventually reveal how problematic/fallible her apparent strong suits are. And for any former West Wing fans, I added the fangirl stunt as an aside, to make sure people are actually reading. A little OOC? Perhaps, but what do we _really_ know about Calleigh?


	7. Chapter 7

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 7:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Matt and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: Long wait. Sorry. Next few chapters will be chaotic to say the least. Be excited.

O-O-O-O-O

"I think I'm going to have a party this weekend at my place."

"A party?" asked Ryan doubtfully.

"Not _that_ kind of party. More like a get together, celebrating H getting out of the hospital and him coming back and all."

"Delko, he got out Sunday man," said Ryan as he brushed fingerprint dust over the side of a box.

"No kiddin?" said Eric sarcastically.

"I'm just saying," said Ryan defensively. After thinking about it, Ryan started to come around. "It's not a bad idea though, get Horatio out of his place, kick off summer and everything."

"That's what I'm talkin' about."

"Will you have it Saturday?" asked Ryan.

"Definitely. I figure that would be easiest. This will be really short notice though, do you think people will show up?"

"Just get verbal confirmation, Delko."

"Good call," said Eric as he opened up another evidence bag, carefully lifting up the red evidence tape that kept it sealed. "Who all should I invite?"

"The question is who _shouldn't_ you invite."

"Invite?" said Natalia as she walked in with a folder. "Throwing a party?"

"A cookout, and you are the first to receive an official invite."

"Where, when and what time?"

Eric paused for a second as he looked to Ryan, hoping Ryan may have thought about that part already seeing as he was now his unofficial co-host. Ryan kept his face buried as he examined the print before him.

"Uh, Saturday, my place, 8?"

"Don't sound so confident," smirked Natalia as she braced herself on the table shaking her head at Delko. "Can we bring a guest or is it just the lab?"

Eric thought about this for a second and shrugged. "The more the merrier. Bring a guest. Just give me a head count by Friday so I know how much money I'm dropping on this thing."

Just then Calleigh breezed in, wearing a trim business suit and looking like she was running her rounds before she went back to the court house for the Valejo case.

"Natalia, great work on getting a sample from that glass shard, I was a little worried it wasn't enough," said Calleigh, tapping the edge of the folder against Natalia's arm as she walked by her and stopped behind Ryan.

"It wasn't too bad, Ryan here got most of it for me before I even needed to look at it," she motioned at him as he still appeared to be off in investigator land.

"Ryan," said Calleigh as she realized he was physically with them, but mentally absent as he peered at the object before him. "Great work?"

Nothing.

"I'll let you have your own case, Ryan."

"Really?"

"Not on your life, what do you have there?"

"This print is looking like a fake. It looks like someone used a mold or adhesive to transplant it because it's really smudged on the outsides. So whoever was running the show was clearly trying to frame the person with this thumb."

"Find one, find the other," said Calleigh as she already moved on to Eric who was emptying the contents of the bag onto the table.

"I heard you got trace from the vehicle earlier?"

"Yeah, how'd you-" Eric began, wondering how she knew all of this already. It took the suspense out of the reveal.

Calleigh was clearly in a rush as she began walking towards the exit. "Call me when you know what it is?"

"Of course," said Eric as he felt like they'd just been hit by a tornado.

"Is anyone else dizzy?" asked Natalia.

"I have a feeling that's the way it's going to be for the rest of the week," said Ryan as he placed another print under the magnifying glass. "Apparently the case in court is getting extended because of questionable evidence the defense brought. Calleigh called me to get some of her stuff ready before she headed back."

Before thinking Eric reacted, "She called you? Why you?"

"Because I was assisting her on that case?" said Ryan as he looked quizzically at Eric.

"Right," said Eric as he shook his head.

Natalia smiled at the reaction and sighed quietly. She had many, many other things to do than watch her ex fawn over another woman.

"Here's the file when you're ready. I think Frank is bringing some guys down to interrogation soon if you want to help out," she said as she watched him nod in response, then left the way she came.

"Don't forget to invite Calleigh. She may use you for target practice otherwise," said Ryan as he glanced up at Eric.

"If she'd stay still long enough maybe I would," said Eric despairingly.

"I think we've got some of those extra sticky mouse traps in the garage, those could hold her for a while," Ryan said with a grin.

"Ha," Eric laughed at the thought. "Now we're talking."

O-O-O-O-O

Coming from meeting with Horatio that afternoon, Calleigh frowned as she pulled into the garage for the umpteenth time that day. Now that the shift was over and she was finished with court, she hoped she wouldn't be leaving anymore for the day. She'd removed her business suit jacket and was now in the blouse and slacks. No clue when she was going to be out of them.

Jeff had called her on her way over with some random questions, leading her to believe he had an idea and was running with it. Which meant that she was not going home for a while. She could handle that though, if it got this case close to being finished, then she was all for the overtime.

Unfortunately, in between now and going home, she was going to have to speak with Eric. She and Horatio had decided it would be in the best interest of the case to remove him. Not necessarily happy about this, she was ambivalent more than anything. The fact of the matter was, Eric had a history very similar to that of Charlie Redding's, and the integrity of the case could be affected by having someone like Delko working on it.

She walked through the corridors of the lab, searching for Eric and his magnificent swimmer shoulders. It had been a slightly stressful day in court, and this was not the way to top it off. Hopefully, Jeff would have some amazing piece of news that would make getting out of bed worth the hassle.

Calleigh wasn't holding her breath.

"Just the person I was looking for," said Eric from behind Calleigh.

"Really? I was looking for you too."

"Imagine that," he said as they both continued walking towards the break room where Jeff was waiting. "So, listen, I'm going to have a cookout this weekend at my house, sort of a welcome-back thing for H. More like to kick off the summer, just something to break up the monotony," Eric stopped as he realized he was rambling. Why was he rambling?

Calleigh watched him talk and smiled, then frowned as she realized he wasn't mad at her yet. She wasn't going to accept the invite until she was sure he didn't want to take her head off.

"Anyway," he said as he clasped his hands together, trying to stop talking, he turned to her saying, "most of the lab is invited, so I need you to be there to handle things when they get out of hand," he said jokingly.

"Oh thanks," she replied mirthfully. "I'll see what I can do. Eric I-"

"You can bring a guest too, I forgot about that part. I'm afraid that kids might be there. I don't know how well that will work," said Eric as his mind started going off in another direction.

"Eric," she tried again, a little more urgent. He stopped walking and looked at her as she walked past him the turned to face him.

"Here's the deal. I want to thank you for all the work and extra hours you've put into this case, really, it's been very helpful," she said in the most sincere voice she could muster. "The problem is that with your recent history, there's a possibility that it might discredit the case and we can't risk it right now," she watched as his face fell visibly. "I understand that you would never intend to intervene in the investigation or let your history affect your ability to do this job without bias. It's just that we're walking a fine line right now, and as much as I want you on this case, because trust me, I really do, we can't use you."

She stopped abruptly, finding no more words to say. This was not how she wanted the conversation to go, but it needed to be said and she had to do it before he got anymore involved in the case.

Eric stood there quietly for a moment with his head bowed, frustration and anger boiling just beneath the surface. He'd had a feeling he was going to get taken off the case, but he'd pushed it aside, thinking that Calleigh would ignore that part and let him keep on working. But this was Calleigh, and she was not one to let past discretions slide, especially if they could interfere with a case.

Was he never going to escape his past? He'd done it all for his sister. And now, she was dead and he was still paying for it. However, in retrospect he'd do it the exact same way, just with a little more care. His sister had been worth it, and if he could have taken the pain and made it his own, he would have in a heartbeat.

No more case then. If he could still maintain that attitude about his actions, maybe she had a point. He didn't appreciate it though and he definitely didn't want to be there right then.

"You know," he said quietly, as he looked her in the eyes with hurt very evident, "if you trust me as much as you say you do, you would have defended me a little bit harder."

He turned to walk towards the locker room, where he could grab his keys and some files he needed to review. Getting out of there as fast as possible was the best idea for him.

"Eric," said Calleigh dolefully, unable to get him to stop. "Wonderful," she said under her breath as she continued on towards the break room. Hurt and bitter Eric was always worse than angry Eric. It meant that he was going to hold on to those feeling for quite a while longer.

"Jeff," she stated as she walked into the break room and took a seat next to him, "please tell me you have something I'd like to hear."

O-O-O-O-O

Flowers. There were flowers in the break room.

Upon getting to work that morning, Eric wanted nothing more than a Cuban blend to kick his butt into gear. Not a bouquet of flowers. Eric wondered who they were for. A woman, clearly. But which one? Natalia had been seeing someone lately. Valera had a new guy every week. Calleigh had what'shisface.

Before he could walk over, Valera flew into the room in search of a cup of coffee. Very black and very strong.

"Oooh! Flowers!" she said as she walked over to them, like a magnet attracted to its opposite. She took a long whiff and searched for a card. Reading it, she grinned and continued over to the counter to fill her cup.

Eric watched as she poured the fresh brew into her cup wondering who the flowers were for.

"Oh nice, whose are those?" asked Natalia as she too walked into the break room in search of the same thing.

"Take a look and see for yourself," said Valera as she leaned with her back against the counter grinning as she took a sip.

Natalia also stood by the flowers and breathed in deeply, then searched for the card and smirked knowingly.

By this point, Eric was willing to forgo the necessary display of nonchalance just to see who the flowers were for. Obviously they were running low on options and he was getting slightly irritated.

Just then, Calleigh and Ryan walked into the lab, Ryan with a lab coat on and Calleigh wearing the same thing she had on last night. Did she pull a double? Was she actually planning on staying here longer?

Eric waited until she got closer, but he couldn't detect any apparent signs of fatigue, or anything that would warrant him bringing up the topic. She and Ryan took a seat at the table, waiting for everyone to follow suit. How she missed the flowers was beyond him.

"Calleigh," said Valera as she walked by the table heading towards her lab, "there's something on the counter you might be interested in."

"Thanks Maxine, I saw them when I walked in," she replied as she continued to hand out reports, clearly uninterested in the foliage on the countertop.

Ryan, however, was quite interested. He quirked an eyebrow in Natalia's direction who smiled in response, mouthing who they were from.

"Now, Eric and Natalia, you've got your stabbing to wrap up from yesterday, Eric, you and I should probably have the Coral Gables case officially closed before lunch. Ryan as much as you are loving staying in the lab lately, I have a mission for you."

Ryan perked up immediately at the idea of escaping the confines of the lab.

"The police department in Broward County requested some time-sensitive evidence from a case a few years back. It's a little road trip, but it gets you out of here for a while."

"I'll take what I can get."

"That's the spirit," she said with a smirk "If all goes well, this afternoon shouldn't be too bad. Directions are in your box as well as the case number of the evidence you need to take. I have a hit-and-run to take care of, so, I hope y'all have fun in interrogation. Call me if you need anything"

Without another glance back, Calleigh was gone, flowers forgotten and next point of interest fully getting her attention.

The three of them sat at the table momentarily as they read over their updated reports. Ryan smiled at the thought of getting away from the lab for a while and Natalia just grinned at his happiness. Eric left the two briefly and ran after Calleigh, who was already halfway down the corridor. Asking her to wait a second, he jogged to catch up with her.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Yes, did you?" she shot back, defense mechanisms in full swing.

"After licking my wounds for a while, yes, I managed to curl into the fetal position and cry myself to sleep," he said hoping to distract her a little bit from the file in front of her.

She stopped walking for a second and looked at him, apology in her eyes but not on her lips. Finally getting a closer look at her, he could tell how tired she was. And this was a woman who never let anything show. There was no way he was going to be able to ride her about yesterday when she was this tired. He'd either feel horrible about it later or get shot for being such a jerk.

"Eric, I-"

"Stop, I understand why you did it. Doesn't mean I have to like it though," he said a little bit nicer, trying to get the look of stonewalled coldness to wash from her features.

She looked at him as though she were just meeting him for the first time, and shook her head minutely, looking back down at the file before she closed it.

"Why don't you go home for a bit, take a shower and then head over to the hit-and-run?" He wasn't begging per se, more like beseeching.

"Can't. It happened on Biscayne. Traffic is backed up for two miles. I have to get evidence off the vehicle before it gets impounded. Call me if you need anything. I should be back in a bit, then I can wrap up out other case."

"Don't you even care who the flowers are from?"

"I knew I had flowers before I even entered the building, Eric," she said with a smirk and a wave. "This is _not _the place to keep secrets."

He returned her wave as the elevator doors closed and she began her descent. "Ain't that the truth," he said to himself as he turned around and went to get Natalia for a fun filled day of questioning.

O-O-O-O-O

After Calleigh collected all of her evidence from the scene the second time around and asked the wrecker to tow the vehicle to the police lot, she decided to take Eric's advice and drove towards her house. A shower would be quite nice.

She had in fact spent the night in the lab, not on purpose, more as a byproduct of staying up with Jeff until 1 am and then continuing work on her paper until 4, when she promptly collapsed on the table in front of her. As she rode in the hummer towards her house, she finally let the events of the hectic morning hit her.

Much earlier that morning, she awoke to her pager going off and was startled quickly into being alert. Her hand immediately flew to her holster and her eyes to the exit, completely baffled by the sound coming from her side. After the fog cleared away from her brain, she realized that it was Frank paging her and she'd managed to fall asleep at the lab. While calling him back, she worked out the kinks in her neck, stretching languorously.

"We got what appears to be blood on the bumper. Only reason why I'm giving you a call," said Frank as he was hunched down at the scene, eyeing the vehicle.

"Alright, I'll be right there," she replied as she gathered her kit and headed towards the hummer, not caring that it was 630 in the morning and she hadn't had any coffee yet.

At this point she felt more like a machine than an actual human being, and she couldn't say she minded. It was a lot easier resorting to her tactic of complete disassociation with the outside world when she couldn't fully process what was going on around her. This method had been called into question a few times, although it had yet to cause any real alarm.

She and Frank spent thirty minutes interviewing the driver, then she collected some glass from the headlight that still remained and scraped some of the substance off the bumper that tested positive for blood. Excellent.

By the time she moved to the back of the Volvo where she was still collecting evidence, she realized that everyone was probably getting to the lab and that she needed to head back.

"How much longer can you keep the scene?"

"Patrol isn't too happy about this Calleigh. Not longer than an hour," said Frank as he glanced at the patrol officers directing traffic.

"That's all I need. I'll be back before you know it grab them some doughnuts while you wait," she motioned towards the Krispy Kreme nearby. "And ask the driver where her passenger went; we need to speak with whoever it was."

"There was a passenger?"

"Definitely," said Calleigh as she pointed to the floorboard where a fresh lollipop was trying to adhere itself permanently to the carpet. "And I'd say it was a young passenger," she said as she hopped in the hummer and drove away, headed for the lab.

After parking at the lab, she hadn't gotten 20 feet from the truck before one of the ladies who worked in reception complemented her on her flowers. Calleigh smiled in thanks and continued on, a little puzzled. By the time she found Ryan in the hall, she already knew that Elliot had sent them and that he wanted to take her out for a 'thank you' dinner.

Presently, Calleigh drove into her subdivision for a refresher and pulled into her driveway, checking to make sure her evidence from the scene was secure before she exited the vehicle. Satisfied, she locked up the hummer and walked the stone path to her house.

Recalling the very expensive bouquet as Calleigh unlocked the door to her house, she smiled. Elliot was definitely attentive. She hoped it was going to be a thank you dinner only. She'd have to call him back later that day to let him know she got the flowers.

Calleigh shed her clothing en route to her bathroom, not stopping as she usually did to store them in their rightful place. Feeling the hot water beat down on her in a steady torrent of pressure, she paused for a moment and took a deep breath and then another, hoping to relieve some of the tension building up around her shoulders. It did very little to relieve the tension, but it had the intention of doing good. She'd take that for now.

Twenty minutes later and Calleigh was dressed and almost ready to go. She paused long enough to put mousse in her hair and scrunch it up before tossing the rest of her clothes in her hamper. Grabbing a banana on her way out the door, she noticed she had a message. Weighing the odds of whether or not it was to her benefit if she listened to it, she pushed play. A somewhat stilted voice with a thick accent came through on the tape.

"Calleigh, it's your mother. I haven't spoken with you in a while, just checking to make sure you're still alive. Call me when you get the chance. Bye."

Deleting that would have been the better idea. She locked her front door and headed out to the hummer, wondering why she hadn't gotten an update about the kid that was so clearly missing from the car they'd just impounded. Now this was going to be a fun case. If fun were viewed as euphemism for _slow and painful death_, then it might apply.

As usual when she drove, uncatalogued thoughts became manifest and quickly went to Eric. Something was up. Last night he submitted a little too easily to being taken off the case. Perhaps it was personal growth, but odds were, Jeff was letting him do some less invasive work on the side. She'd pretend not to notice until it became a problem. Which, she truly hoped it did not, because it was hard to find good help these days.

Fact of the matter was, she and Jeff spent most of the prior evening trying to trace where all the brothers were, but one of them remained to be unreachable. The marine was still deployed, the grad student was still in Gainsville, but the law student/former wrestler? He was definitely MIA. After contacting George Mason, she learned that William Redding, uprising second year law student was on medical leave for the summer term of law school.

Interesting.

Being the only unaccounted for brother, she and Jeff decided to put an APB out on William, just in case he'd decided to take a trip to Florida during his medical leave.

Gloria Redding's room also had surveillance on it, and footage from the last three weeks of all security cameras on her floor at the hospital were being reviewed. That was going to be her homework this evening. Presumably.

Until they located William Redding, they were currently without any leads, which didn't bode well for Calleigh and Mr. Rick Stetler, IAB bastard extraordinaire. The unfortunate thing was, Calleigh felt like something was going to happen, and soon.

After pulling into a spot outside the lab, Calleigh took a moment to collect her thoughts, and just to take a deep breath. She wondered if this whole mess wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have that God-awful paper hanging around her neck. She had one week before it was due to the review board, but she hoped to have it done before the weekend. David Markoff had high hopes for her, and she couldn't deny how good it felt being in possession of such a daunting accomplishment.

Calleigh grinned to herself as she carried her box of evidence and her kit into the building. There was nothing like a new case and endless possibilities to keep her mind occupied for a little while. Hopefully she'd be able to wrap this one up rather quickly. A tidy explanation and quick resolution would do quite nicely right now.

O-O-O-O-O

"I still don't understand why we can't keep him," said an annoyed Natalia.

It was mid afternoon and she'd just spent the last three hours with a snobby frat boy. Annoyance was a prerequisite at this point.

"Well, once he lawyered up it's not like that was going to spell out victory or anything," said Eric as they walked back to layout where most of their evidence was laid out on the large table.

"I understand that," said Natalia, "but I just thought that our having reasonable suspicion was enough to keep him in custody for another 12 hours."

"Not if the lawyer gets someone to post bail," said Eric as he started examining a clip board sitting on an opposite table. "Plus, I'm still not entirely convinced he stabbed anyone. There is no evidence on his hands of a laceration, nor is there a solid enough motive. I really think he was more of an accomplice than anything."

"Well, if he was the accomplice then who else could he possibly be covering for?" said Natalia as she looked ahead of her at the document covered whiteboard.

"You do realize that if we had that information, we wouldn't be here, right?" asked Eric as he set the clipboard down and moved on.

"I know, I know," said Natalia dejectedly. "So he's being framed, but who else is the victim affiliated with? Two low level mob bosses? His degenerate of a brother? His next-door neighbor?"

"Neighbor?"

"Yeah the girl. Tiffany, I think."

"How old is Tiffany?"

"Her driver's license says that she's 17."

"Our suspect Tim in there is 23. That could have potential, right?"

"What? Them?" asked Natalia disbelievingly.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Did you even meet Tiffany?"

"No."

"She wasn't exactly the 'date an older man' kinda girl. More like the 'I'll be home by ten' variety."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Natalia shook her head and prepared to go pick up another possible suspect.

"I'll give Frank a call and see if we can go pick her up," she said as she grabbed a file.

"Pick who up?" said Calleigh as she walked into layout.

"Our main suspect is apparently the one who is being framed, that, and he has a lawyer now. We have another possible suspect though," said Natalia on her way out. "I'm off with Frank to bring her in."

"Have fun with that, I just got a fax that we have a severe weather warning, so be careful out there."

"Will do," with that Natalia went in search of the detective.

"Whatchya up to?" asked Calleigh as she stepped up to the counter next to him.

Delko gave her a sideways glance as though she were entirely too happy at this moment.

"I am double checking something. What are _you_ up to?"

"My case got closed, so now I'm going to go get everyone an afternoon snack."

"Wait, weren't you missing a little kid or something?"

"The mom accidentally hit a dog, her son's dog as a matter of fact. She spent all night consoling her son, Matthew. In an attempt to make him happy, she was going to bring him to work with her. On the way there, she rear ended none other than her boss. He apparently didn't care about the matter and drove on to work, and she began to follow, wanting to stop by Krispy Kreme on the way in to work. All of this was witnessed by a patrol officer down the street a ways. While he was pulling her over, her son hopped out and ran back into Krispy Kreme where he thought it was safe. Found the kid, buried the dog, ticketed the poor woman. Case closed, and I can take a break," she said resolutely.

Eric, who'd been standing there watching her speak, was both amazed at her energy and mildly jealous at her own freedom.

"Wow," he said simply. He opened a sealed envelope in front of him and poured out its contents. "Maybe you could help us instead of running out for ice cream," he stated, not actually hoping for anything.

"I already did. Frank is bringing in that girl, Tiffany Meyers. I looked over the case already and gave him a call about an hour ago."

"How'd you?-" he asked with his head cocked. Maybe sleep deprived Calleigh was telepathic or something.

"I watched about 5 minutes of your interview," she said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "That kid is up to something, but he didn't kill your victim. From what I could tell, she was your only option. Natalia will probably start interviewing her soon once Frank walks in with Tiffany. Natalia looked pretty determined so it shouldn't take too long. Sometimes looking at the bigger picture is what's necessary to get a case closed. That's mainly what I've learned over the past few weeks."

"Got it," said Eric as examined some photos from the crime scene. "You ready for H to be back?"

"Yes and no," she replied after a moment. "I'd have preferred to have His case solved by the time he got back. But it hasn't worked out that way. Maybe I need to get my act together on that one," she said more to herself than to Eric. Shaking her head she looked up at him and smiled. "Either way, it's like doing my job, I just have to pay attention to other cases than my own and make sure you didn't set each other on fire or anything. You'd probably be better at it than me anyway."

"Ha," said Eric as he looked back up at her, thinking she was joking. From the look on her face, she wasn't. "I doubt that. My temper still gets the better of me sometimes. And I'm still coming back from a few months ago and all," he said quickly, hoping to get off the subject.

"I know talking about it bugs you, but I was just curious, after that we can get off of you for the time being," she said warmly, hoping it didn't come out wrong. "How is your leg? It looked fine on Saturday when y'all came back from the beach."

Eric kept his head bent as she alluded to that afternoon. What he wouldn't give to have prolonged those 15 minutes she was there. As he turned to look at her, he found her studying him, as though she were cataloguing the way he responded into her head. Something about it was slightly unnerving.

Eric went with the truth, knowing she'd see right through his bluff if he tried for one. Why he couldn't lie to her was beyond him. It was infuriating to say the least.

"When I wake up in the mornings, it's pretty stiff and I hobble around for a little bit. The shower helps a bit. I'm thinking of getting a shower head installed at leg height to aim at my thigh just to keep the water on it," he said with a smirk, hoping she wouldn't read into that. She smiled and rolled her eyes, giving him a little of the response he was hoping for. "I started jogging again about a month ago, so I've gotten used to the shooting pain going up my leg. My physical therapist is actually pretty good, gave me some exercises to do for it when it feels weak and everything. So overall, I'm adapting."

Calleigh was quiet for a moment, looking down at the counter, traces of a sorry smile on her face. Images of Eric in the hospital flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled then looked up at him again, no evidence at all of what she'd been thinking.

"I've found that adapting is one skill the human body has developed better than our own comprehension of the ability itself," she said somewhat enigmatically. She pushed off from the table and headed toward the door. He watched as she paused at the threshold and turned back saying quietly, "For what's worth, Eric, in a couple of years I think you'll make a great boss."

Growing immediately self conscious under her praise, he tried not to show it. He smiled and nodded his head slowly, meeting her gaze fully.

"Might want to go help Natalia in interrogation. I'm pretty sure what you're holding could lock Tiffany away for the night."

Eric looked down at the crime scene photos that were of pictures in their victim's apartment. Two contained shots of Tiffany and their stab victim on a nearby beach, holding hands and smiling.

Looking back up to thank Calleigh, he found the hallway empty and no one to thank.

O-O-O-O-O

Much later that evening, Calleigh was still at the lab, alternately working on Horatio's case and her paper. Jeff had come in early that evening, clearly wanting to get something accomplished. She knew the feeling well.

"You spoke with Charlie before you came in?" asked Calleigh as she took a sip of her water.

"Yeah, it was pretty useless. He denied knowing anything and even acted a little surprised at one point. From what I can tell, he's completely out of the picture with the current plot."

"How hard do you think it'd be for us to get in and interview the sister?"

"Damn near impossible. I gave the docs a call after I interviewed Charlie and they were pretty adamant that we do nothing to tax her emotionally. Apparently she's touch and go at the moment."

"Still, this is a police investigation, dying or not. I may try to get in there tomorrow, see if I can charm my way in."

"Good luck on that one" said Jeff doubtfully. They continued to work for a while in silence, occasionally throwing out ideas and beating them down in similar fashion.

"I think we've been going about this the wrong way," said Jeff as he sat across Calleigh from the table they were working at. "I think you're right in thinking it's the Redding brothers. But I'm not exactly sure we have the right motive. The other problem is why we haven't found any evidence of them being in the area for the past six weeks. The sister's house has been empty for about a month; the oldest brother had been evicted from his place. If they aren't in an actual residence here, and they aren't staying at any hotels, then they have to be driving all the way down for these attacks."

"Here's where I keep getting caught. Who shot Horatio? Both of the brothers that are still in the country don't have any history of being marksmen or anything like that. And secondly, I still think they could be in a hotel or something, they could easily be using an alias or a stolen card. That or," Calleigh paused for a second, a thought coming to her, "what happened to the boat the family used to own?"

"I think it was Charlie Redding's, and I'm pretty sure it was impounded."

Calleigh frowned, her thought quickly getting quashed. She still couldn't brush way the feeling that this had to be related to a boat. The trace remains of fish from glove fibers were all she had to go by, but she had that undeniable gut feeling.

"None of the brother's have any other boats registered under their name?"

Jeff typed in their names on the desktop and shook his head. "Not in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas or Virginia."

"Alabama?"

"Nope."

She wanted to launch something at the wall. For as delighted as she was earlier that afternoon, her mood was the complete opposite now that it was night time. She needed a break. Needed to get away from this endless circle of dead ends.

"Why don't we take a break? I know you've got to finish processing some evidence before it heads over to booking."

"You sure? Why don't you head home and just go to bed?"

Calleigh smiled. He sounded like someone she knew. "Talk to Eric today?"

"Uh, yeah, in passing," said Jeff quickly.

"Right," said Calleigh as she debated saying anything. Why bother? "Actually I need to get back to my paper. Both Horatio and David gave me corrections earlier. I've got another three hours of work before me," she said dispassionately.

"Ew, that's no good. But home after that?" he said seriously. She looked at him and found him sitting with his arms crossed.

She felt fine. Really. Fatigue was not that big of a problem for her. Unsolved cases were.

Looking back at Jeff she smiled complacently.

"Yes, I'll be going home."

She got a beaming smile in return.

"Excellent," he stated happily. "I'll be in the garage taking apart a large fan. Let me know if you need me."

"Certainly," she replied as she gathered her things and headed to what she though of as her thinking corner, one of the smaller, less used labs with a small table and multiple computers. It was perfect for working on uncooperative papers.

Not long after she settled down and found herself knee-deep in corrections, movement into her area drew her attention. It was Jake with drinks and food.

"Don't even tell me you've had dinner tonight, because I have it on good authority that you live here and you've been no where near food," said Jake as he set down the bags of food.

He pulled out a large fry and a gigantic burger from a local restaurant, apparently take away food.

"Do you really think I'm going to eat that?"

"Ha that's mine. I got you chick food," he said as he pulled out a large salad and a side of dressing. She smirked as he handed it to her. "Don't worry, I also got you a small milk shake."

Many, many moons ago, he used to laugh at her penchant for getting healthy food for dinner, yet going absolutely crazy for dessert. She took a sip of the milkshake and grinned.

"Mmmm, very good," she smiled as she opened up her salad and poured dressing across the top.

"I heard you were a rock star in court yesterday," said Jake as he scooped up a couple of fries and took a bite. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. It wasn't that big of a deal. The defense was only show-boating. I think their inability to answer properly made me look better than I was."

"Whatever, you are your father's daughter. I bet you were channeling the Pops when you were up there on the bench. I always said you should go to law school; continue the Duqesne legacy and all."

Calleigh rolled her eyes and threw one of his fries at him, which he tried to catch with is mouth. Definitely unsuccessful.

"Aren't you clever?" she said as she washed down something that tasted healthy with something that tasted good. "What have you been up to today?"

"Captain put me on this cold case. Apparently a serial rapist/killer has the anniversary of his capture coming up, and a few suits think there will be some copy cats out there. I'm supposed to brush up on it so I'll be 'useful' when the time comes," he said with a hint of frustration, but doubt more than anything.

"So, you're on desk duty for a few days?"

"For the most part, yeah. This department has room for 8 homicide investigators. It has 10. Captain likes to rotate us out in the field for the sake of fairness. Disregard the fact the three of those guys can barely run a block and should have retired five years ago."

"Bitter much?" said Calleigh, half jokingly, half serious.

"It's just, I quit ATF for various reasons, but none of them was so I could work a desk."

"Really? I thought it was because we blew your cover," she said with a smirk.

"No, there were other reasons," he said as he looked at her, insinuation getting across clearly.

Instead of taking his lead she changed topics slightly and they continued on talking and eating for the next half hour.

"Do you mind if I stay for a bit and work?" he asked as he threw their trash away.

"Are you going to bother me?"

"If by 'bother' you mean drive you mad by my irresistible presence, then of course."

"No talking," she said with a grin.

"Absolutely not."

"I'm serious I have to get this done soon."

He gave her a look and pulled some files out of his briefcase, cracking one open before she could get another word in. They worked in silence for the next ten minutes, until Calleigh's phone rang at her side.

She looked at the number and frowned as Jake watched her answer.

"Duquesne," she answered.

From what Jake could tell it was a male voice on the other end. He leaned back in his chair and crossed her arms, watching her talk on the phone.

"Yes I sure did, they're lovely."

What's lovely? He didn't see anything lovely in here except for the blonde sitting next to him. He watched Calleigh frown briefly. She definitely didn't want to speak to whoever it was. But she grinned again, and he began to think otherwise.

"That's fine. Probably a little earlier. Yes seven is fine."

"Okay see you then, bye."

Calleigh closed her phone and avoided Jake's imposing stare. Answering that in front of him was not the best idea, but she didn't want to ignore Elliot's phone call.

"What's so lovely?"

"Jake" she said warningly.

"No seriously, what's so lovely?"

"The lawyer on the Valejo case sent me some flowers to thank me helping him out."

"But you don't like flowers."

"That is not true."

Jake gave her another look, calling her bluff.

"Well, they are really nice flowers, and the intention meant well."

"Yeah he wants to get in your pants."

"There will be no getting in of my pants, by him or anyone else right now, so lay off."

Jake sighed and looked back down at his file and resumed his reading. Calleigh hoped the matter was closed, but he clearly played the rest of the conversation over in his head and looked up again.

"You're having dinner with him?" he asked disbelievingly.

"What are you so worried about? I just had dinner with you. Thank you by the way."

"No problem. And that's because I surprised you."

Calleigh refused to comment.

"That's a lot of thanking. You sure about those pants? Might want to break out the chastity belt before your hot date."

"Jake Berkley, take that back," she said indignantly.

"I'm just kidding, God."

Calleigh glared at him from her seat and returned to her paper. They continued working for a good twenty minutes until Calleigh looked up and found Jake watching her. She hoped he'd go back to work but he kept on watching, his chin propped on his hand.

Just then, Eric, who'd returned to the lab to get his running shoes for a late run on the beach passed by the room and saw them sitting there, looking at each other. He walked past the doorway but couldn't help but listen into their conversation.

"What?" she asked slightly annoyed.

"Nothin'."

"It's only dinner, Jake."

"That's not it."

"Then what?"

"Do you think we would have gotten married?"

Both Calleigh and Eric did a double take at that one.

Thrown by his question, Calleigh leaned forward in her chair and set her papers down.

"What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't, if we hadn't broken up all those years ago. Don't you ever wonder what would've happened?"

"I try to keep the past where it belongs. Less painful that way."

"You have then" said Jake, reading through her aversion.

"Jake," she said again, but unable to follow it up with a response. She hated being put on the spot.

He continued on, pushing the issue. "It's just, when I sit here with you, when I work with you, just being near you, it seems like enough. But then I look at you and think about all we had, and I think I was such an idiot."

"I don't really know if idiot fits, Jake. I think at that point, you were falling in love with the mystery and excitement of your work, and I was sort of like the girl in the way."

"You haven't always felt that way though."

Calleigh smiled to herself, and shook her head.

"No, no I did not. It took a long time to get this point," she replied honestly. There were few people in her life that could read her easily, or knew her intimately. Unfortunately, Jake was one of them.

After a minute Jake asked another question, one that didn't surprise Calleigh, but it made Eric want to punch the wall. Of course, that would have blown his cover.

"What would it take for you to feel the way you did then? Before I left?" he asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. She looked at him closely. Jake didn't do shy. And he definitely didn't do afraid.

The truth was, she loved him once. She really did. And he burned her. At times, she was amazed that she was still able to have civil conversation with him.

She gave him an apologetic smile, the one she reserved for turning down dates. What guy didn't hate that smile?

"I don't know if I can ever feel that way for you again," she said in an equally small voice. She was tired and this conversation was a little to raw for her liking. She swallowed and rose from her chair.

"I'm going to get some coffee. Want any?" she asked with a stronger voice, one that expressed her interest to be done with the topic. Jake looked up at her from where he was picking at the paper in front of him. He nodded and watched her go, sighing to himself.

Eric realized he still hadn't gotten his shoes and went to the locker room to grab them before he accidentally ran into Calleigh. It would be absolutely awful if she knew he'd been standing there. He didn't feel bad about it though. It almost gave him a glimmer of hope. Dull, but present.

As he passed by the break room on his way out, he glanced in and saw Calleigh with her back turned towards the door, leaning against the couch as she waited for the coffee to brew. He figured one last stop couldn't hurt.

"Hey Cal, what you up to?" he said from the doorway.

Startled, Calleigh's hand unconsciously and automatically went to her holster as she turned to face him. Her hand slipped away quickly, as though she were almost ashamed at her reaction.

"I'm," she paused to clear her voice, "working on my paper. Trying to finish up and everything. How'd it go with Tiffany?"

"Guilty as can be. She started crying after we showed her the pictures and confessed within an hour."

"I love it when we don't get the scary teenagers who are manipulative and conniving beyond their years."

"Oh but the ones who kill in fits of rage are so much more comforting?" he said as he took a few more steps in and set his shoes on the table.

Calleigh cocked her head to the side and gave him a shrug. "You know what I mean. What are you up to?"

"Left my shoes here yesterday when I went running during lunch. Figured I would go for a beach run tonight and see how that feels."

"That sounds fun," she said wistfully.

"Want to come?" said Eric before he even thought about it.

"Can't. I've been ordered by Mr. Moore to go home immediately after I'm done here."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," said Eric jokingly.

"So that's how you operate." she said with a smile.

"No, it's more like, a way of thinking. I always figured information is privileged and one must work to get it. Otherwise we take it for granted and nothing is valuable or the information gets abused and people get hurt."

Calleigh considered this for a moment with a grin. "Thank you Professor Delko. Shall we start existentialism next week?"

"Laugh it up, but it's true," he said as he walked over to her flowers and finally looked at the card. He hadn't been expecting Ken Doll to have sent them.

"Interesting. Two suitors now? Whatever will you do?" said Eric mockingly.

Calleigh walked over and pinched him on the arm, taking her card from him in the process.

"What is with you people? They're just flowers!" exasperation seeping through.

"But you don't like flowers," said Eric as though the guy was a fool for sending them.

"They were 'thank you' flowers," she replied.

"Any roses in there?"

"A couple."

"One of them red?"

"Yes."

"Those are not just 'thank you' flowers," said Eric definitively as he crossed his arms. "Someone has a crush."

Calleigh was going crazy. Had he and Jake met up previously to discuss how best to attack her?

"You have got to be kidding me. No man looks at a bouquet and says, 'oh can't have that one because of the solitary rose that might insinuate further interest'. It was a nice gesture, I'm reading it as such."

"Fine, but if Jake got you those, you'd think he was up to something," said Eric.

"Jake wouldn't get me flowers. He knows me better than that," she said without thinking. After the last time she spoke about Jake with Eric, she tried to keep him out of all conversation entirely.

"Does he?" said Eric with a smile, though his voice was serious.

It was as though someone had set off a bomb of awkwardness in the break room. Eric immediately regretted the comment and the smile fell off Calleigh's face. She turned around and poured coffee into two cups and scooped sugar into her own. She almost wanted to pour the coffee on Eric.

All she wanted to do was work on her paper. That's all. She didn't ask Jake to bring her dinner. She didn't tell Eric to drop by and bug her. She felt like she was seven and her younger brothers were ganging up on her during playtime.

As she turned around to wish Eric good night, she found him yards away picking up his shoes. He grabbed them and turned towards her, offering her a faint smile.

"Have a good night Cal, you better head to home soon and get some rest, for your sake and ours."

Brushing his comment aside she also wished him a good night, "have a good run. Try not to get taken out by the tide."

"I'll do my best," said Eric as he walked away down the hall from her.

She watched him leave and sighed to herself. She was getting very familiar at watching him walk away lately. It was a trend that would have to change.

After she went on her 'thank you' dinner, of course.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Don't worry, Elliot is a non-issue. I just think he's cute. In story land, this weekend is going to be ridiculously amazing. So I'm pretty excited about it. I've written chunks of it already and that's why this one took so long to produce. Apologies… Hope you enjoyed. And that it wasn't too confusing.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 8:?

Pairing: E/C possible vague N/R

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Mateo and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: So this chapter is GINORMOUS. Like 32 pages of huge. The time frame may be slightly confusing, but this is a chapter that will require more than one reading anyway. I'm building up to the first climax of this story which will occur within the next two chapters. Thanks for R/R, please let me know what you think. Enjoy!

O-O-O-O-O

It was 3 am Friday morning and Calleigh desperately wanted to sleep. She never usually logged a lot of sleep time, but she always considered herself to be a dense sleeper. Or efficient. Yes, efficient. She slept well in the time given, which tended to be little. Especially lately. When was the last time she'd been in her bed for longer than 5 hours?

What was she complaining for? A lot of people survived on much less sleep than she. Still, even when she was in bed, she couldn't sleep. Well, she did sleep, it was just that she kept having this dream where she was submerged in water and she couldn't get out. Every time she woke up gasping for breath.

She'd tried running.

She'd tried reading her computer manual. (This resulted in her staying up an extra hour to defrag her hard drive and install some much needed updates).

She'd tried counting sheep.

For the record, she hated sheep.

She'd listened to every visitor recording that Charlie Redding had received since he'd been in custody over the past year. Not once had his brothers come to visit. Along with that, she'd also examined all of Gloria Redding's medical records and any documentation of visitors during her frequent stays at the hospital. Save for an initial visit three weeks ago by her harmless brother, Andrew, there had been none.

Calleigh covered her eyes with her hands at the though of Gloria Redding. The doctors said she had a few days left, if she was lucky. The actual reason she'd taken Eric off the case was because Gloria had been a member of Marisol's cancer group. When Eric had purchased the marijuana for Marisol that she distributed to the other members of the group, he automatically became connected to this case. How about that for a small world? Calleigh decided that it would be better for him to come up with his own reason for being removed, as opposed to the actual reason. It might be less painful that way.

What was it he'd said Wednesday? 'What he doesn't know won't hurt him'? He'd probably regret saying that.

Still, too much stuff had happened earlier Thursday for her to even begin contemplating sleep.

Gloria's brother in Gainsville, Andrew Redding, had been found in his apartment by a friend, barely alive. Someone had shot him in the abdomen, where he slowly began to bleed out. Calleigh had the pleasure of flying up there in order to question him once he became stable. However, she never got the opportunity since he died in the O.R. due to massive hemorrhaging and multiple organ failure.

She spent the rest of the short flight back mentally kicking herself. He'd testified against his brother Charlie in court, which had been more like the icing on the cake for the prosecution. When she'd made her calls the prior Sunday, she chose not to call Andrew, believing that he was linked to the case.

Two costly mistakes had been made thus far: one by the suspects in killing Andrew Redding; and one by her in not informing him. Now they were even.

Knowing that she could have stopped it, that she could have prevented him from getting killed, drove her crazy. She'd felt that way the whole investigation. It was like she knew what was going to happen, she knew the possible people it was going to happen to, and she new it all had to happen soon. She just couldn't put it all together.

The only positive thing that had happened was that they'd gotten a solitary piece of evidence in Andrew's apartment. A hair. She loved hair. Wonderful, glorious hair. She especially loved shedders. That and people with dandruff. All those skin cells, it was amazing.

The Gainsville Police Department let her bring the hair to the lab for processing, with the understanding that she'd give them any information that could be related to their murder. Fine with her. She wanted to nail the bastard that killed Andrew. Calleigh prayed to God that it wasn't one of his brothers.

After she got back to the lab, it had been late early that evening. Jeff was out processing a scene and she had to get ready for a press conference. Oh yes. A press conference. Natalia looked pretty on camera, maybe she could make the announcement instead.

But no, Calleigh had to use her only leverage; she had to out her one and only suspect. She and Jeff had a list of possible individuals that could have been in the video tape with whom they thought was William Redding. They only needed another day or so to prove it. Anyway, she stood before the cameras and announced that they were searching for their prime suspect, William Redding, brother of convicted felon, Charlie Redding. She stayed for another 5 minutes for questions, then let Frank take over so she could get back inside.

Of all the brothers, Andrew Redding, the one who'd been shot earlier that day, had appeared to be the only one who would have been of assistance. Judging from the few family pictures, he'd been the black sheep of the family; a pale, lanky guy who spent more time video gaming than playing football or wrestling like his brothers. He was to receive his PH.D. that December in computer engineering and had been recruited by several places on the west coast.

While in Gainsville, Calleigh had also confiscated Andrew's hard drive and laptop when she was at his apartment. Hopefully they'd be able to trace some sort of correspondence through his computer.

She spent the rest of the evening looking over the possible suspects that could be assisting William Redding. Although he'd been on scholarship at Iowa, he'd almost been kicked out twice, both times for violence, and had been put on probation another semester for threatening a professor. How he got into law school was beyond her. While in college he came back to Miami every chance he got, and after reviewing court photos, he'd been present at his brother's trial as well.

Something about the whole situation had seemed a little off to her. Before leaving for Gainsville she'd opened up the old case and started reviewing the evidence, reading over her report that led her to believe it had been Charlie Redding who'd committed the murders. First, he was found at the crime scene with weapon in hand. He'd never revealed how he'd gotten that weapon but she had a feeling his brother William had something to do with it. Second, he confessed to killing all six men, and evidence had not indicated there being another person other than Charlie on scene at the time of the murders. Third, all bullets that made the fatal wounds came from Charlie's gun. There were 59 casings at the scene and she recalled being able to trace all of them back to the guns found on scene, held by the victims.

Only one bullet had been found that was unaccounted for, but she couldn't state for certain that it was related to that actual event. She'd pulled the solitary bullet, a .38 special out of the box and eyed it in its baggy. All bullets from Charlie Redding's gun had been .357 magnum.

She had to return to Miami before they'd retrieved the bullet that killed Andrew was found. Either way, they said it would be shipped to her first thing, Friday morning.

Calleigh figured the bullet that killed Andrew was going to be a .38 special. And that was going to make both cases much more interesting. And confusing. And possibly call Charlie Redding's trial into question. Splendid.

Her head hurt. She rolled over onto her stomach and sighed. Letting her mind go again.

As Calleigh lay there she couldn't help but smile to herself. It had been a rough day, but sometimes the most unexpected people show up and make it not so bad. Ryan had been her saving grace, especially that evening when she'd locked herself away in ballistics after the press conference.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?"

"Relax, this isn't overtime or anything, I came in to get something."

"Which is?"

"Actually, it's more like someone," Ryan slid around the counter and stood next to her, watching as she wrote down results. "See, from what I've heard, you've had a pretty crappy day. From what I know, you are going to stay here for another 6 hours. I am here," said Ryan as he took a breath, "to kidnap you and get you out of here for at least an hour."

"What? No sir. No way," Calleigh looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Only an hour, I promise. You'll return back to your work feeling rejuvenated and glad you left."

"Ryan, I have 18 casings to analyze for the three new cases we got. I can't just leave."

"They are not going anywhere. But you definitely need to. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Calleigh looked him square in the eyes and replied firmly, "NO."

"See I knew you'd be a little hesitant about leaving. That's why I came prepared."

Just then, Calleigh heard the telltale click of handcuffs closing… Around her wrist. Ryan held up his hand to show that they were handcuffed together.

"Ryan, if you're trying to act out some fantasy-"

"Ha, not that stupid. No, this is so I can pull you easier. Come on, we must leave now, or it'll be too late."

"Ryan Wolfe," Calleigh exclaimed as she felt herself being drug from the lab. "If anyone sees you, it's going to look a lot worse for you than it will for me."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. You need to have some fun. I am here to provide that."

They walked into the elevator and she sighed audibly as she watched the doors close. She was thinking of how best to kill him. Slowly. Painfully.

And she'd get away with it too.

Ryan brushed his hand through his hair and smiled to himself. He didn't actually think the handcuffs would work. Oh this would be most excellent. That is, if she didn't wound him permanently first.

"How are we going to get in the car?" she asked as they approached his vehicle.

"I've always wanted to watch you climb over a center console, figured now would be the best chance for it to happen," at her deadly glare he shrugged. "No? That's fine. Worth a shot."

He presented the key and unlocked them both, with the understanding that she wouldn't ditch him at the last second. He figured she was too intrigued to escape at the moment. Never underestimate an investigator's inability to turn down an adventure.

Calleigh buckled her seatbelt and watched Ryan do the same. He looked over at her uncertainly and gave her a feeble smile with his eyebrows raised in innocence.

"Who told you about my day?"

"I was listening to the news on my way home, did a U-turn and came back."

"So based on what I said at the press conference you found it necessary to race back to the lab?"

"No, I'm genuinely concerned about you, just like everyone else. You're doing just fine. Everyone has the utmost confidence in you and the way you've handled this case; hell, all of the cases. It's just," he stopped for a second as they sat at a red light. "I haven't seen you smile in a while. I miss it."

Calleigh looked out the window at his admission and frowned. She knew she'd been somewhat of a killjoy lately. It was like she was stuck in this winding tunnel and it only seemed to lead downwards, not out into daylight. For Ryan's sake at least, she would make more of an effort to appear less burdened than she felt. She'd always thought she did a decent job of hiding her emotions, but apparently that was not the case as of late.

"Hey, no time for contemplation or inner turmoil," said Ryan as he glanced over at her. "You've now entered the realm of good times. You must check all baggage at the door."

"Fine," said Calleigh with a roll of her eyes. "Tell me where we're going."

"Huh-uh," he said as he waggled his finger at her. "That is on a need to know basis, and you my friend, do not need to know. So sit back, relax, and listen to the music."

He turned up the volume to some oldies and opened up on the highway as he sped to their destination. A seemingly quick ten minutes later, and Calleigh found herself sitting in the parking lot of the grown up version of Chuck E. Cheese. She turned to Ryan, shaking her head.

"You're kidding me."

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" said Ryan as he already opened the driver's side door and climbed out.

"First, we go kart. Then we do that bungee thing over there," he motioned to a sky-flyer contraption that was launching two people strapped together from 10 stories up. "Then, we go play laser tag, or I just watch as you mutilate all the 15-year olds who think they're bad ass."

"And we're supposed to do this all in an hour?" asked Calleigh doubtfully.

"Oh trust me. After that spat with Jake earlier this week I came here and blew off some steam during my very late lunch break. We can definitely do it that fast."

"I really am sorry about that. He kind of has a one-track mind. I think he just needs to adjust to working in this world now."

"So you're actually dating him?" asked Ryan as they approached the entrance to the facility, taking a right towards the go kart track.

"I don't see what business that is of yours, but I do know that he will work on his behavior," said Calleigh as she watched Ryan give the pimply-faced teenager who ran the track a twenty for the next 15 minutes of racing.

"Fair enough," said Ryan as he motioned towards the karts. "Prepare for utter demolition Duquesne. You are mine."

"Oh really?" asked Calleigh as she quirked her eyebrows at him in disbelief. She climbed into the kart and strapped herself in, glaring at Ryan and pushing down on the accelerator threateningly. "We'll see about that."

The teenager ensured the safety of their vehicles than gave them a green light for go time. Ryan was off the start first, taking the first sharp turn at expert speed. Calleigh shook her head as she stayed on his tail. He'd clearly been here more than once.

Three losses and four races later, Calleigh finally got the hang of things and completely crushed Ryan, although he claimed that he was just 'letting her win'. The comment earned him an automatic punch in the bicep as they crossed the track towards the sky-flyer.

"I'm not so sure about this Ryan. How often do they do maintenance on these things?"

"Every day. Trust me, I've asked every question under the sun and even then some regarding the sky-flyer. They even let me sanitize the rip cord once, but I realized I was freaking out a bunch of girls on the ground so I stopped doing that."

"Nice," Calleigh replied as the girl who set up the flyers showed them how to step into their harnesses and strapped them in correctly. "It's all on you Ryan. If we die here, I want my father to dig you up from the grave and kick you a couple times in the gut for putting me in danger."

"Hey, not putting a gun to your head."

"You handcuffed me!"

"First date?" asked the girl hooking them together for their pair harness as she twisted the carabiner tight.

"We work together." "She's my boss." They said simultaneously.

"Ah, right. Okay, well hope you have a good time folks, ma'am you're in charge of the rip cord so once you get to full height, let it go and have a blast."

"Got it," said Calleigh as she felt her stomach begin to churn. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights, but she never liked the idea of hovering hundreds of feet above solid ground suspended by some nylon cords.

"You know, for as often as we get mistaken for being together-" Ryan started, but was quickly cut off.

"Don't even go there Mr. Wolfe."

"Ouch. Brought out the last name. Never a good sign."

Once they reached the top Calleigh had said a hundred prayers to herself, and a couple curses to Ryan, some just coming out as a mixture for good measure.

"Uh Calleigh?"

"Yeah?"

"You actually have to pull the cord."

"I'm working on that."

"Can it be that Calleigh Duquesne is actually afraid of someth-" she pulled the cord before he had time to finish his sentence. Good thing too.

Calleigh hadn't felt anything like it. Her stomach felt like it was going to come through her throat but that was only after it jumped on her heart a couple times to restart it's rhythm. Her hair went this way and that as their harnesses kept them in the horizontal side-by-side flying position, swinging forward and back. Ryan chuckled at both of their involuntary yells, surprised at how Calleigh covered her eyes when she pulled the cord, then uncovered as she couldn't help but move her arm out and let the wind wash over them.

"Oh my sweet Jesus, that was amazing!"

"Ha, yeah, you could say that," said Ryan as they stepped out of their harnesses, grounded once again.

"I always thought that didn't look like it was much fun. Glad to be proven wrong."

"Happens rarely, I know."

Disregarding his comment she moved forward, "Okay where to next?"

"One quick round of laser tag?"

"Lead the way," said Calleigh as she followed Ryan inside the oddly shaped building.

Five minutes later, Calleigh found herself on the blue team with Ryan and other assorted people while the orange team had 7 teenagers on it of varying ages, discussing tactics and going over who was guarding what. Calleigh had played laser tag back in college, but that had been quite a while ago. She assumed much had changed in the meantime.

"This place has one of the largest indoor arenas on the east-coast, so don't get lost in there. Either way, our game is for 15 minutes. All we need to do is get over to their side, hit their target and make it back without losing all of our lives of which we have five. I think you can get hit like five times per life. So, may the best team win, eh?"

"Oh no doubt," said Calleigh. She had her game face on. Those boys wouldn't know what hit them.

O-O-O-O-O

As Ryan got on the highway he rolled the windows down and opened up his sun-roof. He looked over at Calleigh who was basking in the glow of complete domination. She'd gotten hit four times. Four. She'd killed almost every single kid twice on the opposing team and tagged their target three times before they even knew what happened. And these were kids that had the layout of the arena memorized. He and Calleigh didn't need the rest of the peons on their team as they obliterated the laser-philic youths.

"There it is, that's what I've been waiting for."

"What?" asked Calleigh as she looked over at Ryan curiously.

"That smile. The one that you try to hide but it overpowers you. Yep that one right there, found it."

Calleigh couldn't help but laugh at his goofiness.

"You know, you're kinda scary when you have a laser gun," said Ryan as he smiled at her.

"That was fun. I liked how my chest guard vibrated when I got hit. A lot less painful than a bullet to a vest though. I was thinking we should do paintball next."

"Oh you're on. There's a place on a beach between here and Ft. Lauderdale that I want to try. Maybe we should have a lab competition sometime."

"Definitely. We should wait 'til the end of summer, when we're all crazy from the idiotic things we've dealt with for three months. Unleash us all on a course and prepare for carnage. Yes, that would be most excellent," said Calleigh in an uncharacteristically impish voice.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be doing S.W.A.T. or the SEALs or something?"

"Ha. Aren't you funny."

"Just sayin'."

They continued on in companionable silence as he turned up the volume and continued the last ten minutes towards the lab. As he drove into the circle out front he felt this imaginary blanket of tension come over him and realized it was Calleigh, tense and grim.

"In a few weeks, this will all be over and you can go play laser tag whenever you feel like it," said Ryan lightly, hoping to ease the strain.

"Right. At least Horatio will be back soon to reclaim his role. The lab didn't fall apart while he was gone, so I guess that's one point for me," said Calleigh with a little self-deprecation. She unbuckled her seatbelt and looked over at Ryan, offering him a grateful smile.

"You have no idea how much this has meant to me, Ryan. Thank you for some of the best," she paused to look at her watch, "77 minutes of my life. Maybe next time you won't need handcuffs."

"It was my pleasure. I couldn't have imagined a better person to do it with."

Calleigh opened the door and climbed out and shut it, then leaned in to say goodbye.

"I assume you're going out for a night on the town."

Ryan looked down with a semi-shy grin. "Actually, yes. Remember the girl from last week?"

Calleigh stretched back into the depths of her mind and recalled the leggy brunette in the green dress from Lotus.

"Green Dress?"

"Yes, her name is Ali. I'm supposed to meet up with her in a bit for a second date."

"Two girls in one night? You player," said Calleigh with a laugh. "Well, I won't keep you. Thanks again. Have a great time."

"Thanks Cal," said Ryan. "Try to take it easy tonight. Despite what you may think, the weight of the world does not rest on your shoulders. And if you start to feel that way, you have three other people to help you carry the burden."

"No wiser words have been spoken. I do believe you are growing up, Ryan."

"Aw shucks," replied Ryan jokingly. "Take it easy, Cal."

O-O-O

Calleigh frowned as she looked at the clock again. 3:31. Although a good memory, it wasn't enough to induce sleep. Her mind wandered again.

Eric and Natalia were working another case, an apparent murder-suicide. That was either going to be very time intensive or not at all. Sometimes she hated the unpredictability of their job. That's when working in a cubicle among hundreds of others from 9 to 5 sounded like a wonderful idea. Then she remembered she hated desk work, and that thought quickly went away.

_Okay, all I need to do is figure out what's bothering me, and maybe I can fall asleep._ Calleigh's mind roamed over all the apparent issues. The case, the two new cases she picked up once she got back to work, her inability to find William Redding, Horatio's condition – which still wasn't that great -, Stetler breathing down her neck, her paper. Ah! Her paper. She could work on her paper. She had to turn it in tomorrow, no, today. It was now Friday.

Nothing had been accomplished on her paper since early that morning, when she squeezed in thirty minutes of quadruple checking her references. Calleigh was now considering whether she should use it as kindling in stead of gaining her acceptance into the Academy of Forensic Science. It wasn't that big a deal to her. Just another couple letters to add after her name.

Except now, it was a big deal. She'd invested so much time into the blasted thing that she wanted to be a fellow, and by golly, it was going to happen. All the paper-writing and connection making, nomination support and certification getting, it was a tiresome process. She only hoped it was worth it.

Her mind slowly meandered its way to the men in her life. Exhaling loudly she flipped over and pulled the pillow from beneath her head and covered her face with it, wishing she could scream, but holding back, holding back like always. Honest to God, she did not care about relationships at that point in time. She wanted one part of her life to be in order before she started the other. And she really wasn't concerned about the relationship aspect. She'd be fine ending up old and alone, she'd consigned herself to that way of life when she'd started this job and had never planned otherwise.

If only the world would stop conspiring against her. When she left for Miami all those years ago, she had never planned on having a serious relationship; she'd had that faulty misconception that real, actual love was not to be found among the cabanas and well groomed party-goers. Her goal was to learn how to dance all the Latin styles, work hard, and learn a lot. She'd planned on having a good time, and she had, many times over.

But what no one told her was that normal, everyday people lived in Miami too, and she was supposed to interact with them on a daily basis. And she'd had relationships with these normal people, but like everything else in her life, it tended to wither away, or end badly. She'd long since accepted the fact that she was neither a party-goer in Miami, nor a real live native. She was simply an interloper, an aimless sort who would stand her ground until it was torn from beneath her.

Growing up, her life had revolved around uncertainty and lies. She found stability in herself and simply chose never to trust at all. Her parents had been virtually worthless, more harm done than benefit. She'd taken care of her brothers and she'd worked hard to make their childhoods semi-normal. Even if she regularly had to find them places to spend the night when her dad was in a drunken rage or her mother had passed out on the couch again.

She almost waited a couple years to go to college, just to make sure her brothers would be okay. But Tulane wouldn't hold her scholarship, and she'd desperately needed to escape. And she spent the rest of her life escaping, but the sadness and heartache kept following her.

Admittedly, she could use an easy time of it for a while. Calleigh wouldn't mind having someone else lock the doors before they went to bed, or kill the bug outside that was larger than a small child. She wouldn't mind coming home from work and actually having a reason to cook, or even have dinner waiting for her on the table once she walked in the door. Though when thoughts of domestic bliss trickled into her head, she normally quashed those imagined scenes with what she knew families to be like. Or hers at least. And bliss had rarely, if ever, been part of the equation.

Still, thinking about her man situation, she almost wished herself to be months in the future. At a place where the men had lost interest or she'd fouled things up enough for there to be no reason to continue. Lately, Jake was great, save for that incident at work that one day, but she felt that they could easily fall into old habits, and that would not do. She wasn't 24 anymore, and no matter how great he acted, she knew that even if she tried, they wouldn't outlast autumn if they even made it that far.

Eric though, he was another matter entirely. After he'd been shot, something in her crumbled or snapped and she couldn't help but want to be a better friend to him than she had been before he got shot. They'd been great friends once, always mildly and harmlessly flirtatious, but that helped the day go by faster. After Speed died, Eric went one way and she went the other. Then they both suffered so much loss in the two years after his death that she wondered if they actually knew each other anymore.

Somewhere in the middle of her attempts at being a better friend, someone Eric could depend on, something changed. She still didn't know if it was Eric's attitude or the way his injuries affected him, but he had certainly grown up. He didn't seem to be as fascinated by the night life, or by living in the fast lane. Eric didn't smile as much, he was more uncertain about his actions; he was more serious and determined. And through all of this, she couldn't help but feel the loss of the old Eric. The one who would say playful things just to see if she'd smile at him, or would have three dates in one week and tell her over lunch of all the trouble he'd gotten into.

She'd be lying if she didn't find the new Eric more attractive at times, just as she'd be lying that she was sometimes afraid of how she felt when she was around him. The way she felt about him was not something begun to analyze, nor did she intend to try. And therein lay her problem: his seriousness, his newfound maturity and her sudden weakness around him scared her. Because maybe beneath all that flirting and joking he may have had a crush on her, but she'd never considered anything with him in the past. She was not someone to be subjected to a fling, and she was definitely not one to be fodder for daily gossip around the lab. Now though, he didn't have flings or date at all, and she found herself distracted by his presence more often than she preferred.

Calleigh hoped that the old Eric would come back. He could continue pursuing worthless relationships and she could keep considering him as a flirt buddy, nothing more. Or he could do the worst thing imaginable and fall in love with an amazing woman. Right now though, Eric seemed to have it in his mind that she was the one for him for the time being. Lying there she shook her head and frowned. It didn't work that way. She wasn't going to give in to this passing fancy that they were both feeling.

Believing that Eric had imagined her to be something she was not also had something to do with it. She was a control freak. She had trust issues. She did not love easily, nor did she let it fade away quickly. And though she trusted him with her life, she did not trust him or any other man with her heart. She knew that they would end up hurting each other badly if they ever started a relationship, and she much rather preferred to think of him kindly than feel heartache at the thought of him.

Eric was her friend. She actually trusted him. In her mind, the quickest way to lose that trust was to let him become more than that.

And she was going to do her best to stop it from happening.

O-O-O-O-O

It was late. Very late. And her stomach was growling. Friday had come and gone, and she had in fact taken a rain check on her 'thank you' dinner with Elliot. Not only was her heart not in it, but her mind was in three hundred places and none of them involved dining with a dashing young attorney.

Closing the laptop in front of her, she let out a deep sigh. She hated to admit it, but she was stressed out. Tired, confused and entirely too brain dead to do more than nod and smile, which was about all she could muster. Calleigh had just finished the last touches on the paper and saved it on three different memory sticks, emailed it to herself and to David as well as saved it to a disk. After losing a term paper to the blue screen of death, she never made the same mistake twice, that's for sure.

Taking a second to languish in the longest most glorious stretch of her life, Calleigh leaned away from the table in the back killer of a chair, letting her arms fall to her sides as she closed her eyes for a moment of peace. The door to the office opened and she begrudgingly sat up to see who her intruder was.

"What on earth are you still doing here? I thought you were leaving 4 hours ago," stated Eric, dismay in his voice.

"Well, a nice hello to you too," she replied with a little too much snark and a trace of fatigue. "I finished," she said quietly, satisfaction evident.

"Wait. Finished what, that paper you were talking about last week?" mildly confused, Calleigh wasn't one to throw around obligations in his face.

"The very one. 74 beautiful pages of nonsense, written by yours truly."

"Really? Congratulations." Surprise and happiness filled his voice. She always envied his ability to inject so much emotion in his conversations. "Can I take a look?" He said while reaching over the glass counter, grasping the neat stack of papers to her right.

"Oh no, no sir," she replied while quickly removing it from his grasp, hugging it protectively to her chest. "I don't need anymore input at this point. I only need to get it out of my possession and under review."

"You love it that much, huh?" Eric replied as he watched her packing up her things. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to get out of that building as soon as possible. "Want to grab something to eat?" he asked without thinking. He saw her still for a moment then continue collecting her belongings.

"At 10:30 Eric? I'm about 10 minutes away from crawling into bed with my clothes on. No thanks," she paused as she looked at him curiously. "You never told me what you were doing here anyway."

"I'm going diving tomorrow morning with Ryan, D.C. and my cousin Mateo. I dropped by to pick up some equipment for them. You should come with tomorrow. It's supposed to be great weather," he said carefully, trying not to betray any shred of desperation.

She glanced at him and he remained passive, not showing a hint of hope. Calleigh smirked to herself as she shook her head.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Have your boy's day out on the water. I was built for land. That and I have other cases to work on tomorrow."

"Yeah, how's that going?" he asked as he followed her out.

Calleigh smiled at his attempt at innocence. Did he really think he was fooling her? The notes she got from Jeff earlier had Eric's name written all over them. There was even color coding. Seriously. No. Seriously[/Grey'sAnatomy

"Yeah it's alright. Luckily I have Jeff to color code the list of possible accomplices for me. He must have liked your style," she said as she looked at him knowingly.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, trying to see if she was joking. At first she looked serious, and then the corner of her mouth went up just a bit. His ruse was up.

"How'd you guess?"

"Are you kidding me?" said Calleigh, slightly astonished that he didn't think she'd catch on. "Eric, who do you take me for? I _know_ you."

"I don't know," he said bashfully. "I just kind of thought you were too busy to worry about it."

They pushed through the doors of the lab and were greeted with the familiar humidity that managed to cling to one's body, giving that rather unpleasant forever-damp feeling.

"Wow," said Calleigh, shaking her head. "You never go down without a fight, and even then, you still try to get the last word. I knew when I told you to stop the case that you'd figure out some way to do your part as long as it didn't seem too overt," she said as they got near her car. She smiled to herself as she got to her door, bringing her keys out and unlocking the door.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just," he stopped and shifted his duffle bag over to his other hand. He watched as she closed her door after dropping her bag inside, leaning against it as she looked up at him with a grin.

"What are you apologizing for? You helped us out and you did it in a way that you shouldn't get caught," she said sensibly. "Pretty slick, if you ask me."

"But you asked me not to work on it anymore." Eric was torn between trying to figure out if she was flirting with him, or just happy from being done with her paper.

"You're right," she admitted. "I did."

Eric gave her a hard look then shook his head. Of course she knew he was going to help and she took advantage of it. She had that freakish sixth sense trait that all crew leaders seemed to inherit. Maybe she really should become their boss someday.

Or maybe he was just out of his league.

"So you knew all along? That's a little conniving isn't it?"

"I prefer to think of it as being resourceful."

"Resourceful," he repeated more to himself as though saying the word for the first time. Eric glanced to the side as a car went by, nodding at the driver. For some odd reason, he felt emboldened by her current mood and decided to try his luck.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," said Calleigh as she crossed her arms over her chest. Eric set his bag down and mirrored her stance.

"Do you know how you feel now? About Jake?"

Calleigh tilted her head to the side slightly and narrowed her eyes as she felt her mood plummet. Why couldn't he leave well enough alone? They should not be having this conversation. Partly because of where they were and partly because of what it was about.

"Eric, now is not the time for this," she said firmly, the tone of finality resonant.

"When is the time for it Calleigh? Will there ever be a time? And what is _this_? Do you even know?"

Calleigh did know. She knew for certain that _this_ was something she didn't want to consider. It wasn't something she wanted to begin, just to have it end. Eric needed to understand that _this_ was not an option. That she was not a possibility for him.

As soon as she looked up at him, he knew nothing she was going to say would be good. She had this determined look on her face that warned him he'd gone into rough waters. Maybe he didn't gauge her mood accurately enough. Oh well, the question was already out there.

"Yes Eric, I _do_ know. I also know that right now, we are at work. Right now, I have six open investigations to worry about, one involving three little kids. I know that I just finished my paper and I really want to be happy right now, but you are definitely bringing me back down from that. I know you have conjured up some explanation for my avoiding the issue, but I can assure you, it's not avoidance. It is plain and simple. I am not an option. You need to understand that and you need to start looking elsewhere, because I am your friend and that is all."

Eric stood there, taking everything she said, hearing it but not reacting. He almost wondered what she'd do if he kissed her right then and there. A black eye was not something he wanted to sport at his cookout tomorrow. Still, she was gorgeous just then, all irritated and ready for a battle with her eyes sparkling and a flush in her cheeks. He almost wanted to egg her on, just to see how far she'd go.

Instead, he leaned the other way and took the safe route for once. He expected this whole diatribe from Calleigh. It was self defense garbage. This was part of his plan to break her down. Sometimes he amazed himself at how easy it was to predict what she'd do. She was not nearly as hard a study as she thought she was. He realized then that he'd been lost in his thoughts for far too long and Calleigh was waiting for some heartfelt rebuttal.

Sensitive or semi-hurt? Maybe he should act both.

He wore a hang-dog expression and looked down at the ground, frowning a little with sad sort of smile alternately. His sisters fell for it all the time. How else was he supposed to get the extra cookie growing up?

"I guess you're right," he said quietly, choosing at the last moment to go for determined. "This isn't the place to have a discussion such as _this_."

Abruptly he bent down, grabbed his bag then turned away and began walking towards his car. He could practically hear the irritation as she sighed audibly. He turned to face her, offering a solemn looking smile.

"I must say though, this is the first time I can say with all certainty that you are wrong." The resolve in his voice was clearly detectable. As an afterthought he added, "And once again, congratulations on finishing your paper. There's something waiting for you in the freezer, behind the scary bag that Natalia brought in on Wednesday. It should still be good; it's only been in there since yesterday."

Calleigh watched him walk away and couldn't help but be confused. That whole conversation was weird. Almost like he'd planned it. Like she hadn't said anything he didn't already know.

O-O-O-O-O

As she arrived at Eric's house Calleigh felt somewhat deflated and a little on edge. Something was going to happen soon, she knew it with all her heart. The only problem was there was nothing leading her to predict what that something was. Fortunately, she driven Maxine to Eric's and had her twittering away harmlessly thus preventing Calleigh's darker thoughts to become manifest.

Calleigh walked around to the back of Eric's house, slightly ashamed for being almost an hour late. Duty called however, and she'd been working from sun up until she entered that gate leading to Eric's backyard. The party was going full-throttle with nearly 30 people there, not including kids. A volleyball game drew the attention of several coworkers, each having allegiance to either team for different reasons.

Clibing the steps to his deck, she nodded a 'hello' to Horatio who spotted her instantly, and headed for an empty corner just to get her head in the right place. Eric had changed his deck a lot since she'd been to it years ago. There was a hammock beneath an overhang that faced his yard and a fire-pit in a new sitting area she hadn't seen. He had lanterns and insect repellant candles lining the deck, ready to go for dusk and the ensuing swarms of mosquitoes. She had to admit, she was very impressed with the way it turned out.

Eric spotted Calleigh standing out of the way a bit, surveying the crowd. She looked like she'd been working in the lab all day, which he assumed to be correct, as she had opted to wear the occasional pair of jeans (tight of course) and a black camisole-like top that looked quite nice. Who was he kidding? She always looked quite nice.

Still, she was present in body, but not in mind. Simply by the way she was standing he could tell she was a thousand miles away, obviously not enjoying herself. He couldn't have that, not at a party he was hosting. Even though they'd left things awkwardly last night, he figured today was a new day, ready for new chances and possible mistakes. He grabbed one of those fruity iced teas that his sister dropped off and walked over to Calleigh, where she was still in outerspace. He placed the cold glass softly against her arm and watched her jump ever so slightly, getting a glare and a playful smile in return.

"Should I call in the flame throwers for the real entertainment or are you just waiting for the right time to ditch?"

"No, sorry, it's not that," replied Calleigh, aghast that he thought she was not enjoying herself. Still, she didn't bother to offer an explanation for her distance. "I'm surprised so many people showed up since this was a spread-the-word kind of deal."

"Are you kidding? Who could resist a party thrown by Eric Delko?"

"A thousand apologies oh great party king," she said with a smile.

"Think you could get a crown with that inscribed on it?"

Sigh.

"So, how'd it go today? Jeff was saying y'all ran the DNA you got from the hair through the system and you didn't get a hit."

"Yeah, it confirms that if it is Andrew Redding doing this, he is definitely having help that doesn't have a previous record. Frank and I are going to round up some guys on Monday and bring them in for questioning. It's a random group of guys, but Andrew is or was associated with them all."

"I also heard about the sister. When did she pass?"

Calleigh looked at her watch and back up at Eric. "Right before I came here. That's where I was actually, at the hospital with her."

"You were with her when it happened?"

"It's kind of a long story, but yes, me, the woman pursuing the rest of her family for felony charges was indeed the last person to see her alive."

Eric remained silent for a moment, suddenly feeling a little bad for the comments he'd made earlier about her wanting to ditch his party. He couldn't imagine being anywhere social after watching someone die. Of course, he actually had a heart and Calleigh would need to defrost hers in order to experience any real emotions. Ouch. Did he really just think that? Truth hurts though, and that was the truth.

Calleigh looked over at him with her head cocked to the side, watching as his gaze locked on a distant object. He looked good. Diving probably improved his temperament ten-fold. The navy blue shirt he was wearing certainly helped matters. And there her mind went again. Maybe she should put on of those electric dog collars and shock herself whenever her mind strayed.

Or she could actually face her feelings. Fat chance.

Disregarding her recent musings she decided to pull Eric back to the present.

"How was the water today? Did you have a good time?"

Eric looked over at her and registered what she said, then instantly lit up. "You should have been there Cal, it was amazing. The water was clear, the temperature was perfect, and the fish were out in full color. Ryan was great, but he's done it before. Cooper had some problems breathing with the O2 regulator though, didn't like relying on it for his livelihood."

"Silly Dan. Maybe he should stay on land with me."

"No I think he liked it, just like you would if you ever gave it a shot. I swear, it's pretty addictive. "

"Someday, maybe," said Calleigh non-committally. Images of her recurring dream the from the past few nights flashed through her head. Maybe not. She watched as laughter erupted across the deck as Valera said something humorous.

"When did Valera get here?" asked Eric, surprised because she hadn't said hello yet.

"I brought her, so just a little bit ago."

"Clever."

"What's that?" she asked, puzzled at his statement.

"Carpooling. Very elusive. You forgot about the fact that Valera and Mike from night shift have been talking. Odds are they are going to continue this party elsewhere," he replied smugly, watching her eyes for a flash of doubt.

"Oh that's alright, she told me that on the way over here," she replied with a note of satisfaction. "That's why we rode together actually. She wanted a one-way trip. Despite what you may think Eric Delko, I'm not afraid of you or what you have to say," her no-nonsense tone insinuated that she'd like to close the topic, but Eric, feeling empowered, continued blindly into battle.

"I don't doubt that, however something tells me you're more afraid of yourself than anything. So maybe _I_ should be more concerned about what you may do," he glanced at her, seeing that his words desired effect, only momentarily though. Her eyes widened briefly at his brazenness then returned to a more steely front, in which no man would enter.

"I trust myself just fine. Although, if I were you, I'd be more concerned with the fire coming out of your grill than provoking me at the moment," she smirked in the direction of the three-foot flame that engulfed the industrial steel giant as she took a sip of her iced tea.

Without hesitating, Eric jogged over to the grill and removed the tongs out of Ryan's hand, smacking him on the shoulder before quickly controlling the blaze.

"Great work Ryan, I thought you knew what you were doing," said Eric in a brotherly tone.

"I do, it's just that there are 20 knobs on this thing and I couldn't figure out which one turned the gas down without starting the jet boosters for take off," he smirked as he took a long sip from his corona. "Quite the turn-out man. We should have these more often. Get everyone out of the office and having a good time."

"No problems with that. How 'bout you host the next one. Don't you have a birthday coming up?"

"Sure do. Three weeks and counting," said Ryan as he took another sip and looked around. "H looks pretty good, don't you think?" asked Ryan quietly, glancing in Horatio's direction. Eric followed the younger CSI's gaze to their boss.

"Yeah he does. It's good to have him back. Get things back to the way they used to be and everything," said Eric noncommittally.

"Really? I kind of like Calleigh being in charge. She's pretty good at it. H asked me how everything was going and I asked when he thought he was coming back, he never really gave me an answer. Makes you kind of wonder though," Ryan's mind was clearly churning.

"Yeah a little. I'm positive H wants to come back, it's just a little weird seeing the world continue in your absence, that's all."

Eric's continued pondering, although in an opposite direction. The longer Calleigh kept this position the farther he got from getting to the heart of the matter. She would use this job to hide behind if necessary. Soon enough her life would be her job and she wouldn't sacrifice it for an affair with a subordinate, no matter how serious he was.

"Earth to Delko?" Natalia was standing beside Ryan and Eric, peering into the grill.

"Sorry, what's up?"

"Oh nothing, I was just curious if you were ever going to let us eat these burgers or if you were going to spend the rest of the night flipping them over?" she smiled shamelessly. She was right though; the food was definitely ready to be served.

"Well Ms. Thang, grab your plate and get it started," replied Eric with a mildly flirtatious smile.

"If you insist," she returned in kind.

"Chow's ready," Ryan hollered to the rest of those in attendance.

Eric watched his guests grab their plates and realized that the time was coming to light the mosquito candles that lined his deck. He walked inside towards the kitchen to grab a lighter when he heard the remainder of Calleigh's conversation, with whom he could only imagine. She was standing against the counter in his kitchen, talking quietly, but he could still hear what she said.

"Yeah no kidding. No, that wasn't the case. Is it really going that badly? I may be able to get away soon. When? Maybe not that soon. Things are crazy, you know that," Calleigh glanced to her left as she finally realized Eric was in the kitchen, clearly eavesdropping while looking for his lighter.

He really was looking for his lighter though; it wasn't in any of his drawers. Last time he used a lighter was… how long ago? He thought for a second and remembered it was for something romantic. Ah, bathtub. Wow, that was a long time ago, he mused.

Lighter in hand, he glanced up to see Calleigh ending her phone call. She smiled at him knowingly as he walked past her and took stride behind him as they headed out to the deck. People were still filling their plates with food and sorting out where they wanted to sit. Some were curious as to whether Eric had any other surprises he was notorious for. He shook his head as Valera eyed him curiously with a smile, shielding his eyes from further scrutiny he looked to Ryan.

"Toast?"

"No, it's your place man, you toast it."

"Fine. If I butcher this, you are on cleaning detail," Eric replied snidely.

"Thought I already was," Ryan said without missing a beat. Eric chuckled in return as he stood on one of the steps to draw everyone's attention.

"I'd like to thank y'all for coming out tonight; it's been a pretty crazy year for this lab and for many of us personally. Besides that, it is the first time H has been out in public since he decided to catch a few bullets," said Eric lightheartedly. "We welcome his presence back where he belongs, not only as our leader, but as our friend. To Calleigh as well, she has suffered much and with no little thanks do we appreciate all you've done in Horatio's absence," she nodded her thanks as a faint blush creeped up her cheeks. "My grandfather once said, 'Food is the way to please the stomach, drink to please the mind, friendship to please the heart and a good time to please the soul. So I ask you now, eat drink and be merry, for it is the only way to bring in a new summer," as he said the last words his eyes locked on Calleigh's, keeping hold until he finished his sip.

"Lucky for me you didn't butcher that. Who knew you could get so poetic?" remarked Ryan as Eric finished filling his plate, hyper aware of the fact that there were no seats near Calleigh, but a pair of eyes belonging to Natalia followed his every move. She'd decided not to bring her date, which was odd, because she seemed to be genuinely interested in him.

Otis Redding and his dock were coming out of the stereo speakers as a confluence of conversation rose and fell among the cacophony. Natalia looked around at the people who showed up and couldn't help but think it funny that she had met so little of her co-workers. Working in a DNA lab will do that for a person. She'd seen their names several times, so it was finally nice to place a face with a name.

Natalia spotted the infamous Jeff Moore, the one whom she'd heard Calleigh and Eric speak about so often. He was awfully good-looking. Too good-looking. And with the expensive accessories he wore, she figured him to be gay. Pity. Another loss to the opposite team.

Next to him sat Calleigh, who was talking to the night shift supervisor, David Markoff. They'd been talking steadily for about five minutes so she figured it was about Calleigh's paper for the AFS. Funny how she didn't make a big deal about it, yet Natalia had heard mention of it three times before Calleigh even arrived. She figured the lab could use all the credit it could get, especially after last year's scrutiny. Calleigh being a Fellow definitely couldn't hurt matters.

As was her habit of late, she looked for Eric to see whether he was watching Calleigh, but to Natalia's surprise, she found he and Ryan playing with the small group of kids that had been brought along. Just then as she watched Eric playfully swing around a three-year-old, Natalia had that faint reminder of the future she and Eric might have had if she'd ended up being pregnant. He certainly would be a good father. Maybe next time, he'll actually plan on having a child instead of it being a 'heat of the moment' accident.

Taking a picture of Natalia watching the children, Dan walked around Eric's deck, taking pictures of everyone, hoping to make a slideshow that he could send out later. He liked hiding behind the camera. He used to do it in high school and college, having the ability to approach different situations and go unnoticed. Being unnoticed was key. As a matter of fact, he'd had his first kiss in the tenth grade from a senior in the dark room of the photo lab. He'd had a lot of firsts in that room. Memories.

He continued around, catching various people laughing and talking, some posing and others disregarding the camera entirely. Turning at the right moment, he got one of Horatio whispering in Calleigh's ear, another of her leaning back and laughing at what he'd just said.

Dan found it fun to follow Calleigh or Valera around. They tended to float from group to group, although Valera was drawn more to the males. The two women were always animated and elicited smiles where ever they went. He wanted Calleigh to go over to Eric and Ryan, where they were leaning against the edge of the railing that lined his deck, talking to Mateo, Eric's cousin. It was odd though, she seemed to be avoiding them. Maybe she didn't want to be too crew centered?

Ah there it was, she finally walked over and started talking, somehow drawing them all to the table where Horatio was sitting. _It was weird how she did that,_ thought Dan. It was weird how she did a lot of things, he found. She was completely approachable, when she wanted to be. She was incredibly nice and could even be somewhat bubbly, when she wanted to be. She could make his and every other man's heart beat out of their chests with only a look, when she wanted to. Or, she could be utterly professional, very cool and calm and serious. That's what she'd been lately.

Tonight though, she was a little bit of everything, which was great for him, because it made her an easy focus for his pictures. He watched as they each took seats around the table, watching Calleigh as she regaled them with an apparently comical story, judging by their laughter.

"So Ryan has this poor kid cornered behind this foam wall and he was being threatening and everything," said Calleigh as she smiled at her protégé. "I came flying around the corner and accidentally plowed into the kid and when I tried to help him up, he shot me with his laser gun! Ryan actually pushed him back down and shot the kid a couple of times, because that was definitely the sportsmanlike thing to do."

"Whatever, Calleigh," said Ryan as he sat up in his chair. "The kid was like, seven feet tall. She didn't plow into him, she sort of knocked him off his axis of gravity," everyone laughed as he smiled at her eye roll. "Goliath was going to keep on shooting you, so I came to your aid."

"There were no signs of distress, thank you very much."

"I call it like I see it," said Ryan as he picked through his fruit salad and tossed a grape at her playfully, which she skillfully deflected.

"You're just bitter because I hit that stupid target before you even got over there," she retaliated.

"It's only because you're so little, they probably couldn't see you," he said automatically.

"Short jokes Ryan? I thought you were beyond that," said Eric as he laughed at the younger man.

"Hey at least I beat her at go-kart."

"Don't get me started on that go-kart nonsense," bristled Calleigh while others chuckled.

"What, did the big boy finally get all the way around the track?" asked Eric.

"Not only did I get around the track, but I beat blondie over there three times," said Ryan as he held up three fingers in victory.

"Yeah, well I beat you the last time around, and that's what matters. And don't you dare say you let me win, because I saw your face when I went by you," she paused to imitate him while others laughed. "Sheer mortification."

"I had a bug in my eye."

"I had your giant ego in my way!"

"Now, now, I'm sure a lesson can be learned from all this," said Horatio jokingly. "I assume teamwork could be tied in here somewhere, or some wisdom gleaned."

"Why bother?" asked Ryan.

"Because you can always write of your hour of madness as a lab expense if it appears credible."

"Ah, I like the way you think," replied Ryan as he smiled at the older man.

Eric stood up and piled some plates on his own, gathering the remainder from around the table. It was dessert time soon. His sister Isabella had dropped off a couple of dishes earlier when she was over helping him clean up. He wished she'd stayed because she would have enjoyed herself. But she had kids and her husband and forty other things to do.

As he threw the trash away he heard his cousin Mateo, saying something to Calleigh. Eric looked over to seem him smiling at her as she laughed at what he'd said, making Eric nervous. Mateo was smooth. Very smooth. It wasn't that Eric was afraid Mateo would make him jealous. It was that he'd realize how Eric felt about Calleigh and then Eric would never hear the end of it.

Eric quickly found a way to distract himself by cleaning up some of the mess around his deck, collecting cups and empty bottles. He looked down to his yard and saw a group playing volleyball, with Valera serving for their side. As he stood watching, a thought popped into his head. More like… a prank.

Valera was the perfect target. Absolutely perfect. He'd need Ryan and probably Calleigh, someone unexpected to be in on it. Marvelous.

Eric glanced over and made the mistake of making eye contact with Calleigh, then Mateo, who was watching them both. For a man, Mateo had the instincts of a woman, which made him frightening to be around sometimes, but it also attributed to his having only female friends and them all being drop dead gorgeous. Hence the reason for him sitting next to Calleigh.

Except Eric knew Mateo found Calleigh attractive. That was part of the reason he agreed to come to his cookout. He also had a crush on Natalia, but that was nothing new to Eric, he'd known about that crush for months. Mateo always acted like he knew the ladies well, but when it came down to it, he always fumbled. Half the time growing up, Eric had to finish what Mateo started, which in a way, worked to his advantage.

"We should all go out dancing after this, the night is young," said Mateo as he called out to Eric. Eric swallowed and shook his head. He hadn't prepared to go dancing. And inevitably he'd dance with Calleigh. That would lead to a disaster of catastrophic proportion.

Calleigh smiled at him and shook her head, even while several other people voiced their agreement at the idea. Eric frowned at that too. Going dancing with Calleigh present would result in disaster, but going without Calleigh around wouldn't even be fun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mateo shrug as he walked up to the table, deciding to put his prank in motion.

"I was wondering if I could borrow Ryan for a moment."

Ryan looked up at him questioningly then complied as he stood up and scooted around the table to stand beside Eric. Looking down at Calleigh who was sitting next to him, he grabbed her wrist tightly and said he'd need her as well. Eric met a little resistance from Calleigh who wasn't fond of being manhandled, but smiled when he felt her rise and follow him and Ryan.

The whole way to his kitchen he felt Calleigh trying to pry his fingers from her wrist, which she gave up on once they got inside. Natalia watched them from her seat, curious as to what was going on. However, her attention was quickly taken by Mateo who began speaking to her when Ryan and Calleigh were taken away.

Calleigh was still working on getting Eric to return her wrist. She liked her wrist. She found it very useful for bracelets and serving as a connection to her hand. She wanted it back at some point in the near future.

"Eric, let me go!"

"Nope, not until you agree to help us."

"Help us do what?" asked Ryan curiously.

"We are going to prank Valera."

"Oh no, I am not taking part in that. You let me go right now Eric Delko," said Calleigh in her best irritated voice. He only lessened his grip to where he was now just holding her wrist. Like this was better. At least she could feel the blood returning to her hand.

"Oh come on Cal, she got you on St. Paddy's day," said Ryan in a childlike voice.

"She was trying to get _you_, if I recall correctly."

"Doesn't matter. Your teeth were green. All day!"

"Exactly," said Eric. "That's why you should do this. Retaliate."

"Max did not set out to prank me. She apologized profusely for that, anyway."

"Come on Cal," said Eric as he swung her wrist up and down. "Live a little."

Calleigh stood there, clearly debating in her head what she should do. She rolled her eyes and looked at the two boy-like men and sighed.

"Tell me what it is first."

"Okay, we only need you to distract her. I have all these water balloons saved up from my cousin's party that we can use. Ryan can fill them up while I get all the kids to take balloons and show them who to throw them at. I think I have a water gun in my garage."

"Are you serious?" said Calleigh, shakin her head. "They're going to hit me in the process. And this isn't a prank. It's just being mean."

"I'll tell them to aim for the one with brown hair, don't worry. Once it starts just move away. And of course it's mean. She and Cooper plastic-wrapped my car shut, and when I finally opened it up they rigged a stink bomb to the door. So yes, this is payback. I'll get him in the next."

Ryan was beaming with excitement and Calleigh couldn't help but let it rub off on her. Against her better judgment and in hopes of reclaiming her wrist, she nodded. There was no way she'd get out of this unscathed.

"Excellent. I'll go get the balloons and fill them up out front," said Ryan as he moved towards the garage. "The balloons are by your car stuff right?"

"Yeah, second shelf," said Eric as he watched Ryan leave. He turned towards Calleigh with a very serious look on his face. "Okay so I need you to be in the grass away from all sharp and point objects. Just talk to her okay, that's all I need," said Eric as he contemplated how best to organize he kids. "Do you think Alexx's son could handle a water balloon? I know he's small, but I think he could launch it pretty far at least."

As Eric kept thinking aloud he'd walked to his large window that gave him an excellent view of the beach. He scanned the yard, looking for all the little kids. Calleigh was also looking, but trying more not to be distracted by his hand that was still holding her wrist. It was easily the longest contact she'd ever had with him and she was getting uncomfortable.

Eric stood there in contemplation counting how many kids there were. He could get them to his driveway by saying he had popsicles. That always worked. Then he would give them balloons and tell them to throw them at the girl with brown hair. Oh fantastic. He looked over and saw Calleigh looking around his kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find something to pry your hand from my wrist, but I can't seem to find you butcher knife."

Eric immediately dropped her hand, something he kind of knew he was holding but was slightly distracted.

"Sorry, caught up in the moment," he said as he turned back to his yard.

"Oh I bet," said Calleigh as she examined her wrist. "Good Lord Eric, you left fingernail marks!"

"Did not," he said as he grabbed her wrist again to examine it, this time with more care. "Where?"

"Right there," she said as she pointed at a fading eclipse imprinted in her skin.

"Psht, I didn't even break the skin," he said as he looked down at her mildly disgruntled face. Without even skipping a beat, or thinking about it, he bent his head and kissed the inside of her wrist, exactly where the mark had been. "There, all better."

Calleigh smothered a sound of surprise as she watched Eric place his lips on the smooth skin of her wrist, then return it with a smile. As though he hadn't just crossed about forty imaginary lines that Calleigh had recently erected, he decided to head out to the garage to help Ryan with the balloons.

"You should probably head back out back, try to keep up pretenses and everything," said Eric as he stepped out into his garage.

Calleigh stood there for a moment, trying not to act shocked, but finding it hard to disregard the tingle in her wrist where his lips had been.

O-O-O

Five minutes later and everyone was in position, Calleigh dutifully speaking with Valera while Ryan and Eric flanked both sides of his house with their own group of kids. Each was outfitted with several balloons, prepared to wreak havoc on Valera. Calleigh was facing Eric and Ryan, with Valera's back to them and the deck.

Unfortunately, Natalia picked that moment to come down the steps and chat with them. Calleigh couldn't help but groan internally as Valera and Natalia started laughing at an offhand comment she'd made. There must be some way to get her away before the kids began their attack. Before Calleigh even had a chance to distract Natalia, she saw Alexx's little boy come charging out ahead of the rest, red balloon ready to explode.

"Oh dear," she said to herself immediately after several other kids including Eric and Ryan rounded the corner of his deck and started pelting Valera and Natalia. Calleigh also got hit by one or two supposedly stray missiles, although she knew Ryan had his eye on her from the beginning.

Screams and yelps and cheers erupted as the kids chased the two brown haired women around Eric's back yard, launching balloons and laughing all the way. Natalia went to the side of his house and got Eric's water hose, letting it go full blast as she drenched every kid, including Ryan and Eric.

"Delko, you sir better watch your back," said Valera as she pointed a rather angry finger at him.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before wrapping my car in plastic."

"It was Dan's idea! I got ice cream out of the deal."

"What about the stink bomb?"

Valera remaind quiet as Natalia walked up behind a soaking wet Eric and clasped him tightly on the shoulders. She leaned in and whispered in his ear with quiet deadliness, "You should watch your back from now on."

"Natalia," said Ryan as he called down from the deck above where he was standing with Calleigh. "You weren't supposed to get wet, Calleigh was only supposed to talk to Valera."

"Calleigh!" exclaimed Valera. "You were in on this?!?"

At that, Ryan turned away as he felt that familiar death glare from Calleigh.

O-O-O-O-O

Dan had three shots left on his memory card before he had to shut off the camera. Soft voices and warm laughter carried through the dusky haze. Everyone had mellowed out considerably, enjoying the buzz brought on by an afternoon of margarita drinking. A few of the techs and rookies were clearly just getting started for the night and were taking their merriment to the next level. He decided to go over to the edge of the deck, see if he could get a shot of the beach from Delko's slightly caddy-cornered location.

Between the sand dunes, he eyed a few people walking along the shore. Dan spotted two or three couples sitting on the beach, watching the waves with the sun setting behind them. He didn't see much of a shot, until he found distinctly blonde hair sitting next to closely shaven brown hair. Dan pulled away from his camera and glanced around, searching for Calleigh and Eric. Not here. Must be them on the beach.

He looked through his lens once again and refocused on the two of them sitting side by side. They weren't sitting super close or anything, so he couldn't jump to conclusions, but they were clearly talking about something important because Eric had his game face on.

Dan loved his camera. The zoom on it was ridiculous. He bet he could see inside Eric's ear from where he was.

As Dan began to zoom in to test out his theory, movement from Calleigh made him pause and zoom out again. She was brushing her hair behind her ear and looking at Eric as he said something. Eric looked up at her again and stopped talking, leaving the both of them sitting there, looking at each other. Dan began to feel like an intruder upon a personal moment. Maybe finding another couple to photograph would be a good idea.

Just then, Calleigh reached over with her right hand and squeezed Eric on the upper arm. Then she rose and dusted her pants off, walking back towards the house with her head bowed. What Dan wouldn't have given to see her face at that moment. He quickly went back to Eric who sat there, shaking his head and looking at his feet. What was going on between them?

As Calleigh came closer to Eric's deck, she felt her eyes sting a little, maybe from the salt air, or maybe because she actually had a heart. She couldn't tell. She still felt horrible no matter what. Having that conversation with Eric was necessary. If she wasn't going to be up front with him like she had been in the past, then she was just stringing him along, and she wasn't that kind of person.

She knew what that felt like, to be strung along. Or at least fooled a little. And didn't that sting a little? Yes, yes it sure did.

As Calleigh climbed the steps to the deck her phone rang. She glanced down and saw that it was from the Chief. A call from him on any night of the week was not good. But at this point in time she might as well have put herself out of her misery, because there was no way this was a congratulatory phone call.

Calleigh halted on the steps immediately and answered her phone, her stomach beginning to churn a little.

"Duqesne. Yes sir. Really? When? Of course, yes sir. We'll be there shortly. Yes? I understand. Thank you."

She stood there on the steps and closed her phone, holding it in her hands as she debated throwing it with all her might at the nearest glass object. Her presence on the steps attracted the attention of Jeff who happened to be standing near the cooler that contained the last of the soda.

Eric also began to climb the steps and stopped behind Calleigh, noting her tense posture and clenched jaw.

"What's up?" asked Jeff as he came down a step. Calleigh remained quiet, still looking at her phone or the ground. He noticed her pallor and frowned. Either she was going to spontaneously combust or pass out.

"Calleigh?" asked Eric as he lightly touched her from behind. She jumped, as though she hadn't realized they were there. Looking over her shoulder at Eric then up to Jeff, she frowned and cleared her voice.

"That," she paused again to swallow. "That was the Chief of Police. The prosecutor from the Redding case, Dominic Johnson, just reported that his kids were abducted three hours ago from his home. You and I," she pointed to Jeff and finished her ascent up the steps, "need to be there as soon as possible."

"Got it. I guess it's a good thing I brought the hummer here," said Jeff as he placed his unopened can back in the cooler and faced Eric with his hand outstretched. "Wish you could come man, sure could use you."

Eric clasped it and gave a sorry smile, nodding his understanding. "Be safe, and make sure she stays out of trouble," gesturing towards Calleigh who was speaking to Horatio quietly.

"Let me know if you need help Calleigh, this isn't the time for heroics," said Horatio as he stood before her.

"Won't hesitate to call. I'll give you an update once we bring it all in," she said as she got ready to leave.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Calleigh gave him a wave as she began to follow Jeff out towards the gate of Eric's back yard. Eric followed Calleigh, grabbing her hand to stop her as they got out of view of the guests. As she turned around he could tell how angry she was just then, and Eric couldn't help but wish he could make it all better.

"If there's anything I can do-"

Calleigh silenced him as she raised her free hand, shaking her head. She gave him an apologetic smile and squeezed his hand. "No, thanks Eric, but you've already done so much. Thanks for having us over this evening, I had a great time."

With that, she followed his stone steps to his driveway and out to the street, where she climbed into the passenger side of the hummer.

"Be careful," he said quietly as he watched Jeff turn around and drive away.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: So you're probably confused and wishing I'd broken this up a bit. I wanted to, but decided against it. If it's crap, please tell me. There will be a delay before I post the next chapter, so please be patient. Happy fourth all!


	9. Chapter 9

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 9:?

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Mateo and CSI Nightshifters are mine. And they will rock.

A/N: I'm not going to apologize for the wait, RL does take precedent. I am excited about this and the next chapter though. It's kind of hard to write action and urgency, but hopefully that came through in this. Let me know what you think. Thanks for the reviews, especially the constructive ones. Enjoy!

O-O-O-O-O

"Calleigh."

"Calleigh?" Nudge, nudge. "Honey, wake up."

"Hmmmm?"

"Calleigh, it's 9:30. You need to go home and take a break."

Calleigh sat up like an arrow, immediately regretting her hunched over position at the table. She knew someone was speaking, someone who sounded very similar to Alexx. She just couldn't quite grasp what was being said.

"Honey, when's the last time you got a full night's rest?" Alexx had concern dripping from her voice. She rubbed Calleigh's back with her hand, waiting for the younger woman to become more coherent.

"What time is it again?" asked Calleigh as she bit back a yawn, ignoring the question.

"9:30 Sunday morning. I'm the M.E. on call this weekend."

Calleigh started to get up from the table, which was strewn haphazardly with documents, photos and a couple laptops. It was where she and Jeff had set up the night before, while the other new detectives that specialized in child abductions had taken over the large conference room on their side of the building. Frank was currently liaising between the two groups, trying to get all the information to each party that would be helpful.

An Amber Alert had been issued the night before for Dominic Johnson's two kids: Tomika Johnson, age 8 and Dante Johnson age 5. The F.B.I. had been contacted and apprised of the situation in case the children were suspected to have been transported out of state or country.

At first, Calleigh was secretly hopping that the kidnapping had been a separate incident or not related to her case at all. Unfortunately, Jeff had found evidence on scene that proved it to be a direct correlation. As he was photographing the Johnson's patio table in the back yard where the kids had been abducted, he found an unused bullet sitting alone in the middle of the table. It was a .38 special.

Now William, if that's who was doing it, was just taunting them and it was not nice.

After filling her cup of coffee, Alexx walked behind Calleigh and chuckled a little after reading a note over Calleigh's shoulder.

"Nice note. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks you should get away from this place."

Calleigh frowned as she looked at the folders in front of her. Jeff had scribbled on a large bright orange post-it and left it smack dab in the middle of the file she'd been reading when she fell asleep.

_Calleigh, it's 7:45 and I'm going home to get some rest like a normal person. If I come back in later to find you wearing the same clothes, I will strip you down right there and hose you off. Call in the rest of your people because we can't do this alone anymore. Also, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't drool on our evidence :p_

_-Jeff_

_Seconded. Especially on the strip down. -Frank_

Calleigh smiled at Frank's addition to the note. At least Alexx had the decency to wake her up. Calleigh looked up to find Alexx sitting across from her at the table, drinking her coffee and looking at Calleigh expectantly.

"There's nothing wrong with needing more help. Especially now that the case has picked up again."

"I know, I know," said Calleigh petulantly as she massaged her temples to assuage her throbbing headache. She was irritated that she fell asleep at work and that so much needed to be done. One of her downfalls growing up had been an inability to delegate responsibility. Part of it stemmed from a deep-seated trust issue. Lately, though, she was starting to realize everything about her was a work in progress and that she'd never resolved any of her issues. Life was not working in her favor lately.

"Do you think I should call Horatio?"

"I think you should update him on things and see what he feels like doing. I paid him a visit Thursday when you were here until all hours of the morning. He now understands the importance of following doctor's orders."

Calleigh grinned at Alexx, wondering what form of torture she threatened Horatio with.

"Did you show him pictures or did you just tell him bedtime stories?"

"More like I told him his primary doctor was on my speed dial and that three different higher up people told me to make use of it if I felt he was over-extending himself."

"Aw, that's just playin' dirty," said Calleigh as she leaned back and stretched.

"Yes well, in case you missed that red hair and notoriously hard head of his, I figured something serious was needed to get through to him."

"Clever," said Calleigh as she started organizing the piles of folders into some semblance of order. As much as she mocked Ryan for his OCD tendencies, she had plenty of her own. Or maybe it was her type A personality. Or both.

"So who are you calling in?" asked Alexx, clearly not leaving room for any finagling. Sometimes Calleigh wondered who really was in charge around here.

"Natalia and Ryan are my first picks, but I'll see what Horatio thinks."

"No Eric?"

"To be honest, I'm hoping to get a ransom letter before Eric needs to come in."

"What was the Johnson's story?"

"They'd all been outside for most of the afternoon, the mom, Theresa was digging around in her garden and flower beds; Dominic was installing new storm shutters around the house."

"Shoot that reminds me. Did you hear about that?"

"What, the tropical storm they've been predicting for a week?"

"Yeah," said Alexx. "It's decided to move its way to our area. We're supposed to get the worst of it late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning."

"Any chance it'll become a CAT 1?"

"Goodness, I hope not. Especially this early in the season. Anyway, about the parents. Were they in and out of the backyard the whole time?"

"That's just it, their back yard butts against a golf course at the second hole. So even if the kids were in and out of the house with the parents around, someone could have had easy access. At first Dominic just thought his kids were across the street because they were also having a summer party later that evening. It was the typical story of Dominic thinking his wife Theresa had the kids and she thought he did. When they realized that neither one knew, they went knocking on all the surrounding houses and came up with nothing."

"Last time they saw their kids was at what time?"

"Approximately 5:30."

"So if there's a golf course was there a country club?"

"Yes, and yes there was surveillance. The missing persons unit was looking over the footage as of 4 this morning. Although I'm not sure if anything came of it."

"Because you were sleeping," said Alexx with the type of sensible clarity that Calleigh was finding hard to appreciate in her bad spirits.

"Yes," she said with a sigh, "because I was sleeping."

"Were you dreaming at least?"

"Thankfully no."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Calleigh shook her head, giving away nothing as she picked up a stack of photos that she'd collected from Andrew's apartment in Gainsville. The fifth picture in the stack caught her eye.

"Oh my gosh. Look at this picture," said Calleigh as she leaned across the table, showing it to Alexx.

"It looks like all of the brothers in front of a boat," said Alexx, not picking up on its significance. There were five boys ages roughly 10-20 lined up in a row with arms flexed and cheeky grins. Charlie was holding a small yellowfin grouper while the youngest brother, Mark, who was now a marine, was holding another fish that was twice as large as Charlie's.

"There were only four brothers. There is a fifth boy here. Not only that, but this isn't the same boat that Charlie owned. It's a lot older and a different make."

Calleigh stood up quickly and began walking towards the door with the photos when she felt them slip from her grasp. She turned to see Alexx standing before her with arms crossed and her 'don't mess with me stance'.

"Alexx, I need those."

"Girl, you need to call in Ryan and Natalia, give them instructions on what to do and get out of here. They are fully competent CSIs who know how to investigate and interrogate. And despite what you may think, they know a lot more about this case than they've let on."

Before Calleigh could think of a logical rebuttal, she found herself nodding in acquiescence as common sense won out. She pulled out her phone and called in them both, offering little more than how urgent it was to have their presence. Following Alexx back to the table and sitting down, Calleigh eyed the other woman warily.

"Now," said Alexx as she offered Calleigh an unabashed smile, "that wasn't so hard, was it?"

O-O-O-O-O

Eric stood next to Horatio in the elevator as they rose to their floor. Horatio had been awfully quiet all Sunday afternoon, more introspective and reserved as they'd been sitting in meetings and updates with the missing persons unit. Which, all things considered, it wasn't really a unit. It was merely specialized detectives drawn from other task forces when the time called for it. Like now for instance.

Unsure of what Horatio's take was, Eric finally broke down and inquired after his opinion.

"I think we aren't going to find these kids until William is ready to let us find them. He has been incredibly hard to track down, and despite Jeff and Calleigh's best efforts, he is not leaving us anything to work with."

"It's been 24 hours though and no luck yet. If this goes on much further do you really think there's any hope at all?"

"Without a ransom note or any contact with the family whatsoever, I don't think much can be done unless he makes a mistake soon. And from his track record thus far, there won't be a mistake."

Eric nodded as they walked down the corridor, finding the lab oddly busy for a Sunday. Not surprising as the kidnapping made national news, barely managing to overshadow the oncoming tropical storm.

"Have you heard from Calleigh or Jeff?" asked Eric as they entered layout.

"I ran into Frank earlier. He told me Jeff and Ryan were at a Black Point Marina trying to locate the sail boat from the picture. I'm pretty sure Calleigh is still with Dan in A/V looking over some documents on Andrew's hard drive."

"Was there a hit off the kid in the photo?"

"Sort of. After they enhanced his age and ran it through the system, they matched him to three possible driver's licenses. Yet none had any priors or convictions. The one that has the most facial tags is José Rafferty."

"So we got a match then. What are we waiting for?" asked Eric.

"It's an old license and he hasn't maintained a local residence for 3 years."

"No reason to link him with this case then. Anyone else?"

"Andre Fuentes, who we believe is a childhood friend of the Redding's."

"What's he do?"

"Jack of all trades."

"Marvelous, so we'll be lucky if we get a job ID on him?"

"Exactly," replied Horatio with a hint of frustration.

"Where do you want me?"

"Right now? Roam and assist."

"Got it."

Eric parted ways with Horatio and started walking towards the elevator, but veered a sharp right when he saw it open up to reveal Calleigh and Jake. They were speaking when the doors opened and continued to do so after she stepped off, while he held the doors with a half in – half out stance. As they finished their conversation she smiled and waved good bye and he offered her an uncharacteristically wide smile.

Turning into the closest lab he could find, Eric stood with his back against the entrance and his hands on the counter. He was not quite ready yet to see Calleigh, especially after the previous evening's discussion. He heard the staccato steps of her heels as she walked past the small room towards A/V, her head buried in a file.

As he stood there, his mind flashed back to those few moments on the beach, where he regretted being so compliant, so understanding.

"_You are one of the most important people in my life, Eric. You mean so, - so much to me, and when you got shot, it really hit home for me. They pronounced you dead Eric. Dead. It was like Tim all over again except I felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest. When you came back I wanted you to feel like you belonged and I wanted to preserve what we had. I think somewhere in there some of my feelings boiled over." _

_She paused for a second and watched as a kid ran by with a kite, yelling loudly as his younger sister chased after him, asking for a turn._

"_I'm not saying that I'm not to blame for this, but I do want you to understand that my intentions were truly to make you feel more comfortable, not to give you the idea that I wanted to pursue… something outside of work."_

"_But that's just it," said Eric vehemently. "There is something between us Calleigh, why can't you just give us a shot and see where this goes?" Before he could continue further, she began shaking her head, causing him to pause._

"_It can't work like that. It wouldn't work like that. You know for a fact we'd get in over our heads and there would be no way to back out if something happened. I care about you too much, so much that I frighten myself sometimes. I just think it would be better for us and for our working relationship if we kept this to friendship only."_

_Eric sat there, not replying as he swirled his fingers in the sand, drawing the sign for infinity. Infinity. That's what this long, painful moment felt like. He felt her expectant eyes on him and he didn't want to look up. He didn't want her to see what she made him feel like, the effect she had on him. She seemed to understand his unwillingness to speak and turned her gaze outwards again towards the rising tide. _

"_I think you're wrong," he said in a small, quiet voice, almost to where she might have missed it, were she not waiting for a response. He saw her glance over at him then look down at the sand and bite her lip nervously. He knew she felt uncertain about this, just by her posture, the way she wrapped her arms around her knees and brought them close to her chest, minimizing her space as much as possible. It was the sitting fetal position. Based on that alone, he knew she wouldn't budge on her stance, not for a while at least. _

_She didn't ask for him to elaborate. Calleigh looked over at him and grabbed his arm softly. She opened her mouth and returned just as quietly: "Eric, you're my best friend." She stopped for a moment, and he could feel her take a deep breath beside him, probably to control her voice. "I just, I need you to understand that."_

_Calleigh squeezed his arm and stood up, dusting herself off. He shook his head as he heard her walk away. Finally looking up, he blinked the tears out of his eyes and brushed them away. He took a deep breath and stood up as well, not wanting to dwell on his emotions for the time being._

Three hours later and Eric was still playing the same scene over and over in his head. He walked into the men's room and bent over the counter, turning the cold water on full blast. He splashed water on his face over and over again, somehow hoping that he'd wash away the pain he felt. It wasn't even pain, it was more like stubborn disappointment. Like he was giving up somehow. He hated giving up.

"Eric, if you want to go swimming, I suggest doing that when we don't have two kids to find," said Ryan as he walked in behind him, heading to a urinal.

"Thanks for the thought," replied Eric, trying to curtail his already sour attitude. Ryan was right. He needed to get his head in the game. Dwelling on Calleigh wasn't helping matters at all.

"You okay man?"

"Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason. You just seem… off, that's all." Ryan flushed the urinal and walked over to the counter where he commenced washing his hands for three minutes.

Eric stood there mesmerized while Ryan washed as though he were going into surgery, when all he'd done was take a pee. As Ryan looked up at Eric quizzically, Eric only smiled in response, shaking his head.

"Nothing wrong with being clean," said Ryan as he waved his hand in front of the automatic towel dispenser. "Where you headed?"

"I'm helping Natalia become better acquainted with searching for abducted children."

"You're babysitting? Didn't she already help us find that one kid almost a month ago?"

"Yeah, well the circumstances were different. H wants me to go over standard protocol with her," said Eric as they stopped and talked in the corridor.

"Maybe if we had more evidence to go by, you'd have something to do."

"Not my fault we've got 10 new people working on this case. I didn't even get to examine the video missing persons got from the country club."

"Ha, that's because Calleigh and I were doing that. They missed a couple of things, but overall, they were spot-on."

Eric paused and cocked his head to the side.

"I thought the MPU wanted to examine the footage."

"They weren't going to let us, until Calleigh talked them into handing it over. All she did was smile and do that hair flip thing," Ryan mimicked her perfectly, although it didn't quite work without the blonde hair flowing behind him.

"If you're trying to be me," said Calleigh as she walked up behind him, "you need to put more flair into it. It's all about the finish."

She offered him another example, leaving Ryan a little dumbstruck. Shades of pink colored Ryan's face at his faux pas. Calleigh and Eric laughed at him lightly as he fumbled his way through a response.

"Give it a break," said Eric as he clapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Go order everyone some pizza. I'm pretty sure 20:30 qualifies as dinner time around here."

Ryan looked between the two and sighed, walking forward a bit as he made a phone call to the closest pizzeria. Eric and Calleigh stood across from each other, both at a loss for words.

"Are we going to be awkward forever?" asked Eric, breaking the silence.

"No, I just didn't know how to follow up Ryan's debut."

They both smiled and turned away from Ryan, walking down the hallway together.

"So the case has finally been ripped from your grasp."

"Not ripped per se, just forcefully torn," she replied with a smile. "Actually, it's working okay. Frank and I have been bouncing back and forth all day, trying to give them correct data as they search the area. It helps to have all the resources they do. Especially since one of the guys in their department is dating an F.B.I. agent up in D.C. _Magical_ things keep happening."

Eric smiled at the way she said 'magical' as they walked into the break room. He glanced over at her as she walked to the table and set her stack of files down on the counter, pulling the refrigerator door open with her other hand.

"Want a soda?"

"Of course. Anything with caffeine." Eric sat on the couch with a sigh, tired even though he hadn't been there more than twelve hours.

"Why don't you break out your trusty Cuban coffee?"

"Already have enough hair on my chest," he shot back with a smile as she handed him a drink.

"Touche," she said as she sat behind him with the loud click of a soda opening.

They sat together for a few moments, drinking their drinks, thinking their thoughts. Eric was glad they could banter at least. It was a start.

"How'd it go with the footage?"

"Not too bad. I had more problems with random people coming in trying to get the footage or retrieving me or asking me stupid questions like, 'Which Redding brother is already in prison?'," she said with a sigh. "I mean, honestly. Do they even read the reports we send over or do they use them for coasters?"

"Coasters," said Eric as he swallowed the banana he'd opened and consumed in all of 10 seconds. He stood up and rubbed his hands together, ready for a new task.

"Give me something to do," he said as he turned to face her. "Anything."

"Want to come with me as I update the Johnsons?"

"Anything else?"

"Nope, no sir. Off we go."

He followed her out as she walked in front of him, folders in hand. _I can do this_ he thought to himself. No big deal.

O-O-O-O-O

It was the following day and Eric still hadn't left the lab. No one had. He found himself in trace, going over a fingerprint retrieved from a golf cart confiscated from the country club where Tomika and Dante were abducted.

"Hey Eric," said Kenwall Duquesne, Calleigh's father.

"Mr. Duquesne, how's it going today?"

"Duke, please. It's alright, defender of justice and all that entails."

"Another day in paradise, right?"

"Something like that," said Duke as he looked back to see who was walking behind him in the hallway. Noticing his mild apprehension, Eric put his file down to give Duke his full attention.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, it's just that I was supposed to have lunch with Calleigh today. She cancelled on me last week and swore, no matter what, that we'd eat today."

Eric frowned at Duke and crossed his arms.

"It's unlike her to be late, did you try her cell?"

"Yeah, but you know how it goes out of service when she's in ballistics. I already went over there though and she wasn't there."

"No, she's been out all morning with Frank Tripp. She's been working a pretty big case for the past few weeks, maybe she just forgot."

"Calleigh doesn't forget things like this," said Duke as he pushed off from the wall.

"Let's go find Horatio. He'll probably know what's going on," said Eric as he brushed a hand over the other man's shoulder, motioning for him to exit from the doorway on the side of the trace lab.

The two gentlemen walked through the lab, both with varying levels of apprehension. Eric looked over and saw that Duke was visibly nervous, something that did not make him feel any more secure about the situation. They came upon Horatio standing in front of a window with his feet spread and his hands on his hips, clearly lost in thought.

"Hey H," greeted Eric, breaking the older man from his thoughts.

"Eric," said Horatio as he turned to greet Duke with a handshake, "Mr. Duquesne, what brings you in this afternoon?"

"Well, I was just curious if we had a way of getting in touch with Calleigh. She didn't show up for lunch and I'm just a little worried, that's all."

"Let me give dispatch a phone call, see if Frank has checked in recently. Just a moment please," Horatio backed away and made the call while Eric and Duke stood patiently. They both looked to Horatio when he got off the phone and shut it quickly.

"Dispatch is currently not getting a response from Frank, but they have the last location that he reported at. Eric, how about you take Mr. Duquesne to the break room and get him some coffee while I get this sorted out?"

Eric studied Horatio closely and could tell there was something he wasn't telling them. He had that Horatio _look_. Instead of increasing Duke's distress, Eric complied, but not without giving Horatio a concerned frown.

Horatio watched as the two gentlemen walked away then headed towards the elevator so he could head over to the police department. The last time Frank had checked in was over two hours ago. Horatio asked that they send a patrol car over to the address Frank had last reported. As he waited for a response, he called Dan in A/V to put a trace on Calleigh's cell phone, to see if it was in the same location.

"I'll call you once I get something," said Dan as Horatio hung up.

By the time Horatio had walked into the police department he knew something was wrong. Screens were flashing and every remaining patrol car was flying by the entrance, sirens blaring. Horatio's cell phone rang, and he answered immediately, fearing the worst.

"Caine. Yes, really? Okay, I'm on my way."

Officer Hector Ramirez didn't find Frank's car outside the Fuentes house, but parked around the corner about a block away. After finding nothing in the car, Officer Ramirez drove to the address listed on his pager. No one answered the door, but something seemed off somehow. The officer burst into the door and examined the entrance, no evidence of foul play. He called out, stating his status and intentions.

Finding the living room and kitchen empty, he walked down the dark hallway, his gun drawn and pointing towards the ground. The first room was a bathroom, also empty. Next was a bedroom, also empty. One room left. He took a deep breath and braced himself, turning quickly as he entered the room.

Nothing.

Only two small twin sized beds and a small bookcase full of children's books.

The officer checked the other side of the house, where the garage was. It too was empty. The only thing odd was the back door to the garage was open. He stepped over the threshold and finally saw something suspicious. There was some fabric caught in the door jam, something that closely resembled blazer material.

He saw a shed out back and approached it cautiously, his mind running over the possibilities. The fact that the car had been relocated was already a bad sign. The fact that the house was empty was an even worse sign.

The shed was also locked, but he kicked it in and did not like what he saw. Frank Tripp was lying prone on the ground, hands handcuffed behind his back to his feet. He was facing the opposite direction, cheek to the ground. Officer Ramirez rushed over and checked his pulse, finding it weak but steady. He looked around and saw no sign of anyone else in the space.

"Dispatch this is car 138. I have an officer down, I repeat, officer down. Send a Medic and all available units to the scene."

Five minutes later and the neighbors would have thought a doughnut place opened up on their street and was handing out free samples.

Horatio pulled up behind the fleet of officers and climbed out of the hummer. He hadn't seen the officers in this type of frenzy in years. Approaching the ambulance, he looked inside to see a medic flushing some medication into an IV that was providing fluids to Frank. His coat had been cut off, as well as his shirt sleeve. The other EMT in the ambulance was placing electrodes on his chest and hooking up the portable heart monitor.

"How is he?" asked Horatio.

The medic, eyeing Horatio's badge, took a moment longer to respond.

"It appears that a strong sedative was used on him. I'm pushing some Narcan to help reverse the effects of the fentanyl which was coupled with droperidol. Hopefully this will get his BP up. He should be okay, just a little groggy for a while."

"Lieutenant Caine, can I speak with you for a second?" a detective from the missing persons unit stood behind him.

"You don't have anything on my CSI, do you?"

"No sir, we don't. There was no apparent evidence of her here, and we have a report from the neighbors that the people who lived here drove a white van, just like the one from your tapes. One of the gentlemen over there said he saw it go by about an hour and a half ago."

"So not only did they take out Tripp, but they kidnapped my CSI," his voice was barely restrained. He had long since passed his patience with the suspects. He wanted them, and he wanted them now.

Disregarding the detective, Horatio walked back to his truck and asked dispatch to page Eric and Natalia to the scene immediately, and to send the missing persons unit as well.

As the message went out as an all-page, Dan frowned at the screen. This was bad. Very bad. Calleigh's phone was off, that he was certain, yet the only trace he could get on it was over a body of water, a large pond near the street where all the units were located.

As he relayed the message to Horatio, he saw Eric walking quickly down the hallway with his kit. Very bad.

O-O-O-O-O

"I've got a hair, a blonde one," said Natalia as she lifted some tape off the tile floor.

"Did you tell the Johnson's we have evidence of their children being here?" asked Eric as he looked at Horatio. He was holding a drawing from the oldest child, Tomika. It appeared to be a drawing of the family, all four by the beach with each person labeled. He'd found it wedged underneath the mattress in the back bedroom.

"Yes," said Horatio, as he turned back to the detective from missing persons.

"If it's any consolation, it appears they were being taken care of," said Eric miserably. He was having a ridiculously hard time focusing.

"And your CSI got nothing from the boat at the marina?" asked Ron Frazier, the missing persons detective.

"No. It was purchased about a year ago from an auction house after it was confiscated by local authorities. Any luck with the video from the country club?"

"Yeah, we got three possible vehicles. We're running tags on them right now."

"Wait," said Eric as he walked over. "The van used in the Harding shooting didn't have tags displayed. Our guy has been meticulous. No way tags were showing for the riskiest thing they've pulled."

"Fine, do you have an idea about what vehicle they used?" the detective was clearly irritated and low on patience.

"Yeah, but not with your attitude," said Eric as he turned around. "H, I'm gonna run this stuff back to the lab and check in with the rest of the MPU, let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you Eric," said Horatio as he watched his CSI pack up his kit. "Eric," he called out, remembering something. As he got closer to Eric, he pulled off his shades and leaned in. "I need you and Ryan to go over Calleigh's notes. She turned this into a mind game for herself. I'm pretty sure she knew a lot more than she thought she did."

"What do you mean?" asked Eric, a little confused.

"Eric, how much time would you say on average that she was spending here each day?"

"I don't know, 10, 12 hours?"

"Try 16. She was letting this case bury her. It's a mistake we all make, but the problem is she let herself get bogged down by all the details."

"And no one called her out on it?" said Eric, feeling slightly guilty.

"Not your responsibility, Eric. Now please, go see what she figured out."

"You got it, H."

O-O-O-O-O

"I don't get it."

"What don't you get?"

Eric had been reviewing Calleigh's somewhat cryptic notes for the past hour and a half. Meanwhile, she and hopefully the two kids were God knows where. Such a passive approach was killing him. He needed to be out there searching for her. For them. Searching for them.

"Calleigh has documented everything perfectly," said Ryan. "Us going over this doesn't move this case along, it just gets us out of the way."

"I think H wanted us on this to see what she'd gathered on William Redding. Get in his mindset and everything."

"Where's Jeff again?"

"MPU stole him a while ago. I've tried calling him twice, but I'm pretty sure he's unavailable. Last time all three of us spoke, they both decided a boat, they don't know whose boat, but a boat was involved."

"But there is a storm," said Ryan, as though that were the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "A tropical storm is supposed to be here in the next 24 hours. What the hell?!?"

"Yeah, I'm hoping Redding decided to not act out all of his psychotic dreams and forgo the adventure on the boat."

As Eric said that, Ryan leaned forward from his reclined position, looking like he'd discovered something.

"How serious were you about the psychotic part?"

"Considering he's been vital in getting two people shot and three people kidnapped, pretty serious," said Eric, hoping Ryan would get to the point.

"Calleigh had a warrant for some of William's medical records. The office took their sweet time in sending them down. She trended all of his minor criminal offenses in Iowa from his senior year and then from his first semester at Mason."

"Yeah, I know he had two domestic issues or something. What else does she have?"

"Both issues were with other students, both occurred without provocation, the second resulted in the victim getting a broken jaw, three fractured ribs and a head contusion."

At Eric's somewhat surprised look, Ryan continued, describing what else Calleigh had written down.

"It says that victim was the only one present and no one else could support his claim, and based on his overall reputation of being a kind, passive guy, the charges were dropped."

"Wait, but he had that other thing right before this."

"Exactly. And it gets weirder. He was at Iowa for wrestling, right? He goes All-American his last two years there."

"So you think the school was covering it up?"

"Something like that. He had one more violent outburst though, that was when he got to George Mason. Apparently he lashed out at a professor. No physical contact, nothing to actually provoke the situation. It just happened."

"Okay?" Eric was beginning to wonder where Ryan was going with this.

"Basically Calleigh divided this up into two different sections. On the left side, she had all accounts of Redding being a normal, decent college kid. On the right, she noted all of his unusual behavior. At the bottom it states that he had gone in to see a psychiatrist regarding his behavior and that she'd requested records from the doctor as well."

"Which we didn't get because of patient client privilege and the fact that the psychiatrist wouldn't do anything without hard evidence. However," Ryan leaned forward a bit to emphasize his finding, "Calleigh managed to find out that Redding saw a neurologist and a neurosurgeon at Fairfax hospital."

"So what are we looking at here?"

"Either a personality disorder," said Ryan as he read a little more of what she'd hypothesized, "or a brain tumor. It looks like she figured him for having a personality disorder. She has numbers of physicians she consulted. Should I call?"

"Can't hurt," said Eric as he stood up, a little frustrated. "Where's the chick that was at the house with them? How have they not found her yet?"

"Miami's a big city man, you know they're looking."

"Yeah, it's just," Eric stopped for a second as something occurred to him. He'd compiled the list of accomplices. They knew it was Fuentes. There had to be more there. Maybe he was the one with the boat and not Redding.

"Where's Jeff's stuff?"

"I think MPU took most of it, why?"

"Did they follow through with all leads on Fuentes?"

"I thought so. Call Jeff and find out."

Eric pulled out his phone and searched for Jeff in his contact list. Jeff had to know something by now. At least he got to be outside of the lab.

"Yo," said Jeff on the other line.

"Give me what you know about Fuentes."

"It's on the directory Delko, just pull up my folder and search in there. Also, I need you to figure out where the youngest brother is."

"Wait, I thought he was deployed."

"He's on bereavement leave. He just had two siblings die Eric, think about it."

"So maybe I should follow the youngest brother?"

"You're going to have to, because we're trying an alternate plan."

"I'm on it," said Eric as he shut his phone. The thought of having a task other than searching for what Calleigh did wrong was overwhelmingly appealing. It almost felt treasonous to search for flaws in her impeccable work.

He pulled up Jeff's report on Fuentes and scanned it rapidly. Nothing waved any red flags. Damn.

Setting the notes aside, he decided to try finding the youngest Redding brother, Mark. Mark was 18 and had just gotten out of boot camp, then was shipped off to some hell hole for the next year. Semper fi. Eric found Mark's stateside contact and made a few calls, learning that Mark had arrived in Washington D.C. yesterday and caught another fight to Miami, where he got to somewhere by someone.

Okay, both Gloria and Andrew's bodies were being held at the same mortuary. Therefore Mark probably went straight there once he'd gotten into town. Eric called the mortuary, where he got a somber sounding recording. He shivered at the thought of the mortuary. The smell of condolence flowers, the overwhelming grief, the sorrow-ridden smiles and red eyes.

Eric glanced over at Ryan who was engrossed in some more of Calleigh's notes. He knew Ryan considered Calleigh to be his mentor, the person who'd bequeathed much of her hard earned knowledge to him. Although, he never quite sought approval from Calleigh as much as he did from Horatio, which Eric always found interesting. She was the one who normally laid into him when Ryan had done something wrong, not Horatio.

"Get up," said Eric as he gathered some files.

"What? Why?"

"We're going investigating."

"But I can't-"

"Bring some files, let's go," said Eric as he dialed Horatio's number.

"Eric, what've you got?"

"The youngest brother is here, in the states. I'm trying to get a location on him right now. Ryan and I are headed to the mortuary where Gloria and Andrew are being held."

"Keep me posted. We meet back in main conference room at the P.D. at 2100."

O-O-O-O-O

The conference room was packed with officials and investigators of varying authority, and Ryan felt rather beleaguered. He looked over at Natalia who was completely engrossed in the current briefing. Eric stood next to him with his arms crossed, looking oddly calm. How was he calm? They were reviewing inclement weather protocols and Eric looked like he was watching golf.

Horatio stood near the front with his arms on his hips, looking a little worse for the wear. Ryan could tell he was tired, mainly by his stance, and the fact that this was his official first day back wasn't helping.

"Alright, Lieutenant Caine is going to wrap up this meeting with a few comments. I'd like the red team to stay on until 3 am, blue team will relieve you all at that time. Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, the tropical storm is just barely in season and irregular, and we aren't expecting it to be too bad because our waters haven't heated up too much yet. However, this is something to take into consideration for tomorrow, because it's supposed to make landfall by this time tomorrow night. Of course, we won't be here this time tomorrow, because we will have found our missing victims."

"Keep on thinking that," said Horatio as he remained in place. "For those who are curious, Detective Tripp is resting safely at home. Currently, we do not know the whereabouts of Private First Class Mark Redding. He was last seen at the Rothschild Mortuary off Killian Drive. Right now, he's either an accomplice, or we have four, not three kidnap victims. There is footage being reviewed right now showing that Mark was picked up in a 2005 red mustang."

"What about Fuentes? And do we know anything about the woman on scene?"

"According to Detective Tripp, Lola Fuentes, Andre's younger sister, used what we now know is a sedative for large animals to disarm Tripp and possibly Duquesne. She is employed by a local veterinarian, but has not been to work since Saturday morning."

"After Redding and Fuentes left the area, did we get an idea where they were headed?"

"We located both officers' cell phones by GPS, and found them in a shallow pond approximately 1.5 miles from the Fuentes house. Drawing upon that trajectory, they were headed northeast. I would also like you all to note that neither officers' firearm was found, so we can assume that the suspects are armed."

"So we still don't know if Redding took plane, boat or automobile?"

"Right now, the only conclusive evidence we've gathered is that he is in a vehicle, most likely a white van with no plates, although once we get two analyses back I can say for sure whether they are still in that vehicle."

"Alright, thank you Lieutenant Caine. Does anyone have any other questions?"

A few hands went up, and Ryan leaned his head against the doorway as he listened to questions that had already been answered. How were they not paying attention? He was glad his fate didn't rest in the hands of some of those people. Luckily the MPU was on their game. They were already packing up and reorganizing their small groups.

Ryan almost envied them. Every time he came on a scene, odds were, the person was dead or had been subjected to foul play. The MPU at least had the possibility of survival.

Working for missing persons was a job for closet optimists, un-quash-able spirits who had that inherent hope that was so necessary for their careers. Maybe it was time to rethink his chosen profession.

O-O-O-O-O

The headlights of his car blurred against his closed garage door, where Eric sat in his idling car. His hand pinched the bridge of his nose, tightly closing his eyes as he swallowed back a yawn. It was finally starting to hit him. Everything that was going on. At first he buried himself in the case, not letting his emotions or fears surface. But now, with his exhaustion tapping out his remaining ability to keep his feelings in check, this raw and unusual ache took hold.

He didn't like it at all. It scared him. It was similar to the way he felt after his sister got shot, only different in the sense that this sensation was drawing different emotions within him. The extent of the role which Calleigh played in his life was starting to become very apparent.

Months ago, he'd have called this a crush. A long harbored, steadily growing crush. But then, she started doing things that were outside the bounds of friendship, for her at least. The kiss on the cheek had been the icing on the cake, but when he got verbal confirmation from her that she acknowledged something between them, he knew he was gone. Could he have misread in anyway what she'd meant?

No, no he couldn't have. And now? He was sitting in his driveway hoping she was still alive.

As he realized just how strongly he felt about her he also had the thought that he'd never actually felt this way about anyone before. He wasn't sure if it was because he hadn't allowed himself the chance, or if it was because she was a risk worth taking. He did know that their friendship was something he'd sorely underestimated in his life, something that he'd had since he'd started working in Miami and had never imagined having a life without it.

Eric knew then why Calleigh had been so reserved the night of his cookout, why she held back and took what he'd always thought was the safe way out. Understanding now that maybe she didn't want to let herself feel too much. It was frightening, having so much feeling for one person, someone who he could lose just as easily as his sister.

Finally he grasped what it felt like to get hurt by caring too much. The thought of losing her was so utterly unfathomable to him that he dared not even think it. However, just her absence was enough to make him feel somewhat lost and wanting to reign in his feelings. Maybe, maybe if he could control how he felt about her, if he could limit it to the confines of friendship, to platonic safety, maybe he'd get out of this with little damage.

As he took in a deep breath, he let everything their friendship meant to him flood his mind. What he missed most about Calleigh was everything she brought to their friendship; he couldn't help but sense the loss. The way she offered advice only when she knew he needed it, without him having to ask. The way she tried not to smile when she knew his questioning would convict a suspect in interrogation. The way he knew that no matter what he did or said, she always stood beside him, occasionally questioning his actions but normally in his best interest.

He wondered then what he'd really done to deserve such a friendship. Back when Speed was around, it was all casual camaraderie. Then it slipped away and became professional courtesy. And then she experienced loss in her life and he experienced loss in his. Somewhere in their unspoken brokenness, they'd found a way to salvage their old ties and make them stronger.

It was then he remembered that he could make her laugh when she was tense. She accepted his help on occasion, carefully offered and gratefully received with a subtle smile and the ghost of a thank you. He also recalled how she somehow seemed unable to limit her emotional outbursts when she was around him, either because she figured him immune or she trusted him enough to remain unfazed by her actions.

Maybe it took losing her for him to acknowledge that she truly was his friend. That when he sought advice or help, she was the first person he thought of. Without even trying, they could spend ours in silence together and never feel awkward, and when conversation resumed again it was like the silence was merely a breath. Was it their ability to be honest with each other that he appreciated so much?

These thoughts had followed him inside his house as he walked out of the oppressive heat and into the cool comfort of his home. All the lights were off save for a couple he normally left on. It was 3:20 in the morning. The soonest they could be back at the lab was 8 am. Eric tried to make it to where he could stay and work a little while longer, but Horatio saw to it that they all left at 3. They'd all worked a triple shift and by all rights and purposes, the night crew was required to take a break.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Eric shed his clothes and climbed doggedly into bed. As he lay there, he took in a few deep breaths, trying to still the fear that stole over him like a cold wind chilling his soul. He worried about those kids, he worried about the youngest Redding brother, and he worried about Calleigh.

Eric wanted so badly to find them, that as he whispered his prayers as his eyes closed shut, he envisioned one of the many rescue scenarios that had been playing out through his head. This time, they weren't all tied up and afraid in a warehouse, or dangling by their shoelaces in the everglades. This time, it was the persistent feeling that they were on a boat, floating to somewhere or nowhere at all. This was the scenario he feared the most, for the weather would soon grow dangerous and their mission increasingly treacherous.

The last thought that formed before he succumbed to a restless sleep was that when they found Calleigh and the others, he would tell her how much she meant to him. In all their years of knowing each other, it had always been implied, but a situation like this called for verbal confirmation. As cheesy as it sounded, he too would call her his best friend, and he wanted her to know that.

O-O-O-O-O

It had been her first time actually being involved in an investigation where they didn't instantly find the bad guy. She wasn't sure if it was because Redding was just that good, or if they were missing obvious signs along the way.

Ryan had passed off Calleigh's notes to her as he and Delko went in to interview Lola Funtes, Andre's sister. They'd be the third round of people to do so, and by this point, they were hoping sheer exhaustion would cause something to slip. Otherwise, she'd been almost completely worthless.

Going through the third stack of folders, she examined family photos Calleigh had confiscated from Andrew's apartment after his death. Calleigh or Jeff had already identified most of the people in all the pictures. There weren't many, and Gloria Redding only had a picture from three years ago, a Christmas photo, when she passed away on Saturday.

Natalia's eyes were drawn to the Christmas photo, frowning as she saw the happiness in each of their faces, the love and apparent affection they had for one another. She examined William closely, looking at his eyes as though she'd be able to trace his thoughts. As she put the photo down, she looked once again at the photo that had plagued Calleigh and Jeff. It was the four brothers and Andre Fuentes. She figured the picture was taken quite a few years before the Christmas photo, based on the size of Mark, the youngest.

Andre stood between William and Andrew, grinning mischievously as he mirrored the other brothers' actions. Based on family history, Andre and his sister grew up with their mother, who apparently had a revolving door policy with regards to men. While his younger sister stayed to put up with it, Andre was typically found at the Redding's house, taking part in a family that would never fully be his own.

Natalia scanned the background of the picture like many before her, searching for anything that might give her a lead. She read the names of the boats docked in the marina and nothing looked particularly familiar or relevant. There were a few fishing boats parked across the way, but none looked to be suspicious or draw her attention.

Except one.

All that was visible in the shot was the stern of a fishing boat, with partial view of the name and the company that owned it. It read 'encant-" beneath it was "Fue". Natalia pulled up the scanned copy of the picture on the computer and magnified it so she could get a better look. There were quite a few commercial boats in that area, and she knew there were local businesses that still preferred locally owned boats as opposed to the corporate monsters that frequently trolled the waters of South Florida.

Natalia pulled Andre's file and examined family history, noting that although his father had been separated from the family most his life, he still kept contact with the children. It appeared that Domingo Fuentes owned four fishing boats, and ran a business with his brother Juan. As Natalia scanned Domingo's record, which was virtually spotless except for a minor misdemeanor when he was seventeen, she also saw that he died two years ago.

Looking into the brother's business, she saw that he still owned four boats, yet all were registered as being bought from 1998 onward. The picture of the five boys was taken in 1997. That meant that there must have been older boats. Twenty more minutes of searching, and she finally found what she was looking for.

"Encantador Encantador" Fuentes Bros.

"A boat so lovely they named it twice," whispered Natalia to herself as she read over the descriptions of the boat. "Wonder why it's so lovely."

It was a 34-foot boat, definitely a fixer-upper from the five-year-old picture she was looking at. It was no longer property of Juan Fuentes; however it belonged to Maria Rodriguez, Andre's mother who had remarried two years ago. Apparently, Domingo still had a soft spot for Maria when he wrote out his will.

This was interesting. Where was Mrs. Rodriguez, and where was her boat?

O-O-O-O-O

"I don't know. Andre takes care of that piece of crap. It's falling apart," replied a bewildered, yet refined looking Latina of 61. Quite a change from her earlier years, Natalia thought to herself.

"That's interesting, because Andre is a suspect in a high profile investigation and your daughter assaulted two police officers, one of whom is missing," said Eric who was clearly peeved. Natalia looked over at him and frowned. He'd been in with the sister for most of the morning and hadn't gotten anything helpful from her. Except that she helped the two men against her will and that she hadn't been told anything.

"My Andre would not to such a thing. He is a good boy. Very responsible."

"Then do you have any idea why he would be participating in this whole scheme?"

"No idea. He used to play with Willie and Mark when they were kids, but they moved away when he was 14. Willie was like an older brother to him. Andre worshipped the ground he walked on."

"Did the boys still keep contact after the Reddings' moved?"

"Maybe? He was never home much in high school. I know he was unhappy when Willie left. He went to some fancy school to 'wrestle'" she said the word with a hint of disgust.

"Mrs. Rodriguez, when's the last time you spoke with Andre?"

"We speak every week on Tuesdays and Fridays. He always calls at the same time, when he gets off work."

Eric and Natalia exchanged glances, trying not to appear too hopeful.

"What time would that be?" asked Natalia, excitement barely constrained.

"8 pm."

"Does he ever call you when he's out on the water?"

"Only once or twice. Reception is normally pretty bad, even though he got this weird thing to make it better."

"And he hasn't contacted you since then?"

"No, why would he?"

"Maybe to say that he wouldn't be able to call today or that he was busy?"

"No."

"And you knew nothing about the kidnapping of the Johnson kids?"

"If my son helped in anyway, then he had to have been forced into it. There is no other way. He is a good man. He works hard and he is honest."

"We don't doubt that Mrs. Rodriguez, we just need to locate these children and our officer. As you know there is a storm coming and if they are on your fishing boat, they could be in extreme danger."

The mother offered a grim frown as she cast her eyes down to the table, frightened of what might happen.

"Is there anything else you can tell us that might be helpful to this investigation?"

"Andre works part-time for his uncle, as an assistant when someone calls in sick. Whenever they go out on the water, it's typically north of here. I'm not sure of exact location though, I'm sorry."

"Thank you Mrs. Rodriguez," said Eric with a small smile. "You've been very helpful. We're going to need to you stick around until 8, in case your son calls."

She looked a little surprised at his request, but nodded her assent regardless.

O-O-O-O-O

"What the hell are they doing?! She's somewhere out there and they're sitting on their assess drinking coffee?" said Jake as he stormed into the garage where Eric was examining the getaway van that had just been brought in from a grocery store parking lot.

"Jake, its dinner time and these people haven't eaten all day, a meal is probably warranted at this point," said Eric in a tone that he hoped didn't come off as too offensive.

"Yeah I know," he admitted as he leaned against a utility table. He watched Eric as he pulled what looked to be a finger print off the rear view mirror. The first and only print he would retrieve. The rest of the van was virtually spotless. "Have you gotten anything, man?"

Eric looked at Jake and shrugged. "Not much. This whole thing was meticulously planned. This entire investigation has been ridiculous. They guy totally knew what he was doing the whole time, and must have been planning this for months."

"I guess the only thing that worked in our favor was that Cal and Tripp were unexpected."

"Yes and no," said Eric as he glanced back at Jake before climbing into the back. "Redding left Tripp behind, yet he took Calleigh. That means one of two things: either he wanted bargaining leverage with him especially since she's so small and easy to transport, or he's been targeting her from the beginning and he decided to take her now, rather than later."

Jake frowned and ran both hands through his hair, clearly harried by the series of events. Eric looked at the other man, examining him closely for what was really the first time. Always appearing to come off younger than he was, Eric chalked that up to being immature for his age. Upon closer inspection he looked to be almost the same age as Calleigh. Jake had the glazed over eyes of someone who's been awake for days in a state of worry, his features resembling those of Calleigh's father's. Jake wore a dress shirt, sleeves rolled up and slim tie loose around his neck. His expression was determined, yet it was offset by the doubt and desperation in his eyes.

The sight of him, so obviously worried about Calleigh made Eric grow uneasy. Partly because he sympathized with Jake and partly because he couldn't show the same kind of apprehension that Jake exhibited. It wasn't fair, Eric thought, that Jake could have more of a claim over Calleigh than he could. As Calleigh had said the other night at his place, he was her best friend.

"Do uh," Jake paused briefly as he weighed his words, "do you want some help Delko?"

Eric's immediate response was to say no, but as he looked at the other man, he knew it was completely unfair to deny him the ability to help in some way. He knew all too well what it was like to want to help and not be allowed to.

"Sure. Glove up and grab that stack of tape. We may be able to get some hairs back here."

Oh how the tides have changed.

O-O-O-O-O

"Alright, we have thirty minutes 'til 8. Give me what you got," said Horatio as he stood before his team and Jeff. The rain had already begun to pour outside, beating relentlessly against the glass windows of his office. The streets below were still populated; the residents of Miami unfazed by the storm. Reports said the storm had shifted a bit and was on a course for central Florida with a projected landfall at midnight.

Eric spoke first, having just received his results from the van. "I have two hairs, one belonging to Calleigh and one belonging to Tomika. I also found a hair bead that matches up to beads found in Tomika's home. When the van was found, the engine was cold, so it had been in the parking lot for a while. Also, the print from the van does not match Andre, William or Mark. It belongs to Donald Jones, owner of a local catering service and employer of Andre. The van was used to transport food to local events and had a magnetic sign attached to the side during work hours."

"And if we take this show to the water, tell me what we need to worry about."

"Several things. The coast guard is only going to be active before and after the storm. It is too dangerous for them or us to be out there in this kind of weather. They are reportedly offering us 4 choppers to search and 6 boats. The other thing is the wind and surf; gusts are at approximately 50 miles per hour. The waves right now are reaching 7 to 8 feet but can reach anywhere close to 15 feet by 1 am, at the projected height of the storm. Last but not least, are the sharks. Recent evidence has shown that sharks can sense severe weather and head for deeper water, so I'm hoping they won't be a problem unless blood has gotten into the water somehow."

"Great work. Jeff, going off what Eric said I understand the MPU has contacted the coast guard to be on the lookout for any watercraft moving up the coast?"

"Yeah, they've got everything ready to go; we just really need this phone call to give us the general area. The only problem is that we probably won't get much of a read off it because cell phones towers don't point towards the water and even if they get closer to shore, it'll still be difficult to trace the call."

"Got it," said Horatio as he shifted his weight slightly. "I heard they also found the other transport vehicle?"

"Yeah actually, I did," said Jeff taking his due credit, "it was located in this shady area north of the Port of Miami. It was a fairly new SUV, with nothing inside, well, nothing except this-"

It was a brightly colored brochure of Disney World. Did Redding think he could march into Orlando with two kids that weren't his and get away with it?

"You think this is where he's headed?" asked Horatio skeptically.

"Well, obviously not entirely on boat, yes," said Jeff definitively. "I've been thinking a lot lately about his motive, and I think he's trying to shake up reality a bit. Everyone he's attacked has been very work-oriented, to the point of alienating others. No offense."

"None taken."

"It just seems that he isn't doing all of this to be malicious, more like, to give people a wake up call."

"Next time, I'll take a cup of coffee," retorted Horatio. He turned his attention to Natalia and Ryan, who'd spent the last few hours analyze the evidence Eric had found.

"Mr. Wolfe, you have something regarding William Redding's health status?"

"Yes, he has a brain tumor. Anaplastic astrocytoma."

"Really and-" Horatio was interrupted by a detective quickly opening the door to his office.

"The Johnson's got a call. The kids are alright. No word on where the boat is headed as of yet."

"What about my CSI?"

"No mention of her."

"But they _are_ on a boat?"

"Yes. They were on for about 25 seconds. We only narrowed it down to region. But we have the number now, so we're tracking it through GPS."

"Great, let me know immediately when you're ready."

"Got it."

"Natalia, I need you to go over to the break room and speak with Mr. Duquesne. He'll want to come with us. Escort him in a hummer following ours, but stay on land once we get there. This is unsafe enough as it is without unnecessary risks."

"Yes sir," she replied as she stepped out of the office as Jake walked in.

"Missing Persons already has a team out on the water with the Coast Guard. They want us out there as soon as possible," he stated urgently, though seriously more controlled than when Eric last saw him.

"So quick? Okay, Delko you head out with Boat Two, Ryan and Jeff you'll be in my boat. Detective Berkely, I'm not even sure you should be going out."

"With all due respect sir, I don't give a damn."

"Fair enough. Stay on my boat then."

The five men exited Horatio's office and started walking towards the elevator, adrenaline pumping at a furious rate.

As they stepped into the elevator, Horatio turned and faced the men behind him.

"All right gentlemen a word of caution: When we get out there, it's going to be extremely hard to focus with the weather and the choppers overhead. Not to mention the fact that there are two kids on that boat who need to get out of this unharmed. Be aware that at least two of the suspects, Fuentes and Redding are armed, but hold fire at all costs, because we have no clue where the kids are being held."

"Last but not least, we're all a little bit in love with Calleigh, even you Jeff."

"Yes, the 10 percent of me that is straight is head over heels for her," he replied automatically, offering levity in an overwhelmingly serious situation.

"All I'm saying is that we need to keep our minds in the game and not let our emotions run away with us if she looks to be injured in any way. We do that, and we'll bring them all home safely."

As they stepped out of the building and headed for the hummers parked in the garage, Eric scanned the scene and just realized the severity of this situation. There were at least 45 officers and detectives climbing into vehicles and taking off, driving to the launch point to get out on the perilous waters. Eric saw as the Johnsons got in a police-manned vehicle while Duke followed Natalia into a hummer.

Exiting the garage and hearing the pelting rain bounce raucously off the roof, Eric sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed and prayed silently. He hoped to find them all safe, and that this rescue would be successful in every way.

Horatio's cell phone beeped loudly at his side.

"Caine. Yeah? Okay thanks."

"That was the LT with MPU. Coast Guard had a signal on a boat that was floating about 60 miles from here, give or take."

"That's great."

"Not quite. The signal just went out."

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Mwah ha ha. I drum my fingers devilishly against the desk, knowing how much you all want to know what happens. Sorry, this month is no bueno in the fanfic department for me.

Comment 1: The next part, due in the next two weeks, will feature the rescue and another POV from one of the kidnap victims in the boat.

Comment 2: I know you all want E/C hot steaminess. Here's the deal. I said this in the beginning and I stand by it. This will be a long journey, and there are things about Calleigh that needed to change before she'd be able to consider a relationship with our favorite Cuban. It will happen, I promise, but patience is required.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 10:?

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Coast Guard is definitely not mine. Jeff is mine.

**NOTE:** This hard for me to post. I decided to keep it in two parts instead of the one I originally planned on. The next part will be posted by Wednesday morning. If it is lacking in suspense, I apologize. I found I was not nearly as good as writing this as I hoped. Suggestions are always appreciated. Enjoy.

O-O-O-O-O

The wetsuit clung to him tightly as he stood on deck with other coast guard officers who were wearing ineffective ponchos. Rain drops hit his face like tiny daggers, sharp and painful. He turned away to protect his face, grasping the side as he made his way back into the cabin.

Waves reaching 11 feet were currently posing a problem for the aquatic aspect of the rescue attempt. The coast guard dispatched two helicopters and two boats for other problems, leaving them with two HH-65 Dolphin Helicopters and 4 cutters. The problem was that it was almost too windy for the choppers to be out, and soon, they'd have to go back inland.

In the forty-five minutes since they'd left, nearly everyone had gotten some form of sea-sick. It was a hazard of the job. Still, it was something they could have done without.

"I think we got something!" said the co-pilot from chopper two. She stated the coordinates and all four boats followed course.

Five endless minutes later and Eric let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was the only person from his team on the boat, mainly because he was experienced in recovery. But that was the problem. It was recovery, not search and rescue. One of the other coast guard officers threw him a look of curiosity and skepticism. _Yeah_, _I feel that way myself_.

"There she is!" yelled the captain, it was like an electrical stimulus to his heart. He could feel his pulse speed up and his breathing grew fast and shallow. His head was pounding relentlessly, something he hoped was a byproduct of the mounting stress.

If _Encantador Encantador_ was considered to be in disrepair ten years ago, it could hardly be considered a sea worthy vessel now. It wasn't completely dark outside as lightening storms littered the seascape miles away. However, he didn't see signs of life on board. At that point in time it started to hit home for him that they might not be okay. That perhaps they were all in over their heads and this whole crazy rescue attempt was the most ill conceived idea in a while.

His breath hitched a little as he thought of Calleigh in that boat, probably sitting there fearlessly, knowing somehow that this would all turn out fine. He didn't want to think about her though. It hurt too much. Little did he know, he'd begun the instinctual process of self preservation days ago. Ever since his cookout, his heart had slowly become gradually more detached from Calleigh, and from reality. He couldn't handle anymore loss or trauma at this point in time.

His mind however, was more than happy to compensate for his heart's shortcomings. As he braced himself against the wall when the boat heaved with another high wave, he quickly analyzed the situation and made mental adjustments to the way he would approach this whole ordeal.

Procedure and protocol. That's what Horatio said when they exited the hummer and boarded the boats. He wanted to ensure that if anything went afoul during this recovery, it wouldn't be because they had something wrong. Eric shook his head at the whole idea.

They were out on boats right before a tropical storm. How could this not go wrong?

"I see someone moving," said the Lieutenant Commander beside him as he peered through his binoculars. That was a feat in itself. Visibility was very poor.

"Alright, we do this now or after the storm, so let's get a move on," said the Captain as the Master Chief prepared to steer them close to the boat. As the two boats rocked back and forth Eric watched the Master Chief frown as he tried to bring them close.

"What are the winds at now?" asked the Captain.

"Dropped off considerably. We're at 23 MPH. Calm before the storm"

"Why don't we try the choppers?" asked Eric.

"We're gonna have to," said the Master Chief. "I can't risk it. No way are we going to get close enough for a boat walk."

Eric frowned. He wanted to get on that boat. He _needed _to get on that boat.

"Is there anyway you could take us in closer and we could climb aboard?"

The seasoned Master Chief gave him a skeptical smile, one that indicated exactly what he thought of the young CSI.

"Kid, you think you can just hop in and out of that water? You jump in, we ain't fishin' you out."

"Now, now, Master Chief, is that any way to treat a guest aboard our ship?" admonished the Captain. He looked at Eric and gave a commiserative smile.

"I just spoke with Dolphin 1. They're gonna drop down two guys and see what they find."

"Oh God," uttered the Lieutenant Commander at Eric's side. "He's out there. With your girl. She's uh, I think he's got her tied up to something."

"Let me see," said Eric as he grasped the binoculars. Struggling to focus, he saw William Redding looking extremely agitated as he carefully paced back and forth. Calleigh's wrists were tied together and held above her head. No, she was hanging on a hook of some sort by whatever was holding her hands together.

He scanned the boat for anyone else, and he saw the other brother, Mark coming up the steps from the cabin. It looked as though he were pleading with William.

"William Redding, this is the Coast Guard. I am Captain Tate. We need you to put your weapon down."

Eric looked outside as the captain braced himself against the rail, speaking over the PA system. He peered through the binoculars again to see William gesticulate forcefully. Yelling between the two bothers ensued.

Calleigh yelled something and they shut up. Eric couldn't tell what they were saying. But he watched as Mark nodded and went below deck, the re-emerged with Tomika and Dante in tow. Andre followed behind them, holding a gun.

Andre got on their VHF radio and made contact. It was broken and garbled, but still clear enough for them to get the general meaning.

"…take – kids …but get … soon… boat starting sink… don't think… Willie … make it…"

"We need you to put your weapons down before we come aboard."

Andre yelled to William who shook his head forcefully. Calleigh was speaking again but he started yelling at her and she stopped. Andre tossed his gun over board and held his hands up in the air, then put a hand behind Dante to steady him as he wobbled a bit. At least they didn't seem to be putting up a fight. Of course, the only one they really needed to worry about was William.

Eric was getting tired of watching the events unfold. He needed to get on that boat.

As if reading his mind, the Captain looked over at him.

"Okay, Delko, you want to get on that boat? Here's your chance. Your LT wants you to get aboard."

"I thought it was too dangerous."

"We can get you on; I just don't know if we can get you off."

"I'll take what I can get."

"Okay we're going to hook you onto our extendable line, then you get on our catwalk and get across on all fours. Unclamp once you get aboard. Your LT will also be on the boat, as well as two of our guys from Delta Chopper. First, you take the kids, then you get Andre and Mark. As we already figured, he's using Calleigh as a hostage."

"Got it."

"Hey Delko," said the Master Chief as he watched Eric put on a harness.

"Yeah, Master Chief?"

"No time for heroics. You get on, you get off. I ain't bringin' back any bodies tonight."

"Don't worry Master Chief. Not on my watch."

"Ha," he said with a laugh. "Your watch? Kid, this is all about me. Now get the job done. I want to be back in time for desert."

"My pleasure," he said with a smirk. "Captain, thank you for the trip."

"No problem Delko, it's been an honor. We still have contact with Andre and they are fully willing to cooperate. Just keep an eye on William. He's on the edge right now."

"Understood."

Eric mounted the catwalk and held his breath as the boats both swayed and rocked in the waves. Although they'd gone down a little bit, any sort of choppy water made this difficult. This was not choppy water. This was mountainous bursts of wet.

Feeling the tug of his belt on the safety line above him, he let out a slow breath. Half way there, ten more feet to go. He crawled a bit further on the sticky material that helped him maintain his grip. A sharp wave hit his boat broadside, causing it to move closer into the _Encantador_. He silently thanked God and kept moving, his breathing slow and careful.

Mark was standing at the end of the catwalk, waiting to help him on.

"Sir I need you to step away," yelled Eric.

"I'm just trying to help you man, give me your hand."

Eric got a bit closer and waved off his hand, choosing to hold onto the boat instead.

He looked up just in time to see the two Coast Guard officers land on the ship from their chopper. They nodded to Eric and approached him carefully as the boat tossed about.

"Delko, right?" yelled one of the officers through the torrent of rain.

"Yeah, which kid should we take first?"

"Actually, we'll take them both, we just need to get them harnessed real quick."

Eric looked over to see Horatio also getting on the ship, a little worse for wear, but still making a strong showing. He was on the opposite side with his gun drawn, speaking with Andre who was keeping the kids somewhat shielded from the rain. The two Coast Guard officers walked over to speak to Horatio and Andre, Mark in pursuit.

Glancing over to Calleigh, Eric saw William standing behind her, using her as a shield. She was barefoot and standing on her tip-toes. It looked as though William had raised the hook high enough to where she had to either stay on her toes, or dangle by something that was an excuse for rope.

"Eric, I've already spoken with William. We get the kids, Andre and Mark off, then we can get Calleigh."

"But-"

"Eric," he said sternly. "We only have five minutes tops."

He nodded and assisted the officers as they harnessed the kids. The youngest, Dante, started crying.

"Calleigh!" he yelled, causing her to turn and smile at him warmly. They were too far away for her words to carry through the storm.

Andre grabbed him before he could run across the boat to her. For someone who 'kidnapped' these kids, he clearly had affection for them.

"Stay here little man, we have to get out of the storm and get you back to your parents," said Andre as he bent over Dante, rubbing him on the back.

"Okay Andre, I need you to step into the harness," said Eric as he waited for Andre to step through the harness on the ground.

"Are we leaving by the bird? I don't do heights man," said Andre as he shielded his eyes from the spotlight shinning on them.

"No, you and Mark will be joining us on the boat, this is a safety precaution" said Horatio steadily as he watched one of the coast guard officers, LT. Davis, grab the line hanging from the helicopter.

"This is what's going to happen. I'm going to take Dante up with me and my partner is going to take Tomika," motioning to the other officer, who was strapping herself to Tomika and preparing to go up. "After that, we'll take off and Dolphin 1 will move into position to provide cover."

"Understood. We'll try to move Andre and Mark over to my boat."

The group braced themselves as another wave came over the starboard side, which was slowly being approached by Horatio's boat. The officers on board dropped the bridge over, and prepared for the arrival of Andre and Mark.

Tomika, who had been silent since their arrival, started to yell as Dante was separated from her and was attached to LT. Davis. As they begin to rise in the air, Eric watched Dante's small fists tighten around Davis' neck, closing his eyes tightly.

"Tomika, hey," soothed Horatio. "Tomika, your brother is going right up there," he gestured to the helicopter hovering above the boat. "Soon you will go right up with him."

"But, I don't want to go. I just want my mama!" She started to cry as well.

"Tomika, we need you to go with this nice woman and she will take you straight to her."

"Why can't Calleigh or Andre take us?"

"They can't come right now. Ma'am," he gestured for the remaining Coast Guard officer, a Lieutenant JG.

"Tomika? Hey Tomika, my name is Laura, I'm going to attach this to you," she latched a carabiner to the younger girl's harness and watched as LT. Davis lowered the line to the boat from above.

Eric had a precarious journey walking to the bridge and helped stabilize it as Mark and Andre slowly made their ways over. What seemed like an eternity later, Eric finally directed his attention to Calleigh and William, who were talking again, loudly over the noise of the storm raging around them.

Watching Horatio as he approached William from the stern with his gun drawn, Eric mirrored his actions and came from starboard. Before Horatio could start speaking, William grabbed Calleigh by the cheek and said something in her ear, then pushed away, keeping the gun trained on her head and obscured from their aim.

Eric saw that in his other hand, William held the control switch for the hook, which was fed by a thick chain connected to a small crane suspended about 12 feet in the air.

"No closer!" he yelled as they stopped abruptly, in no way wanting to make the situation worse.

A large clap of thunder sounded as it followed a large bolt of lightening. They needed to move fast. Eric and Horatio were still about 10 feet away, but with the way the boat was rocking, the low visibility and the risks involved, both were unable to get a sure shot.

"William, we need to get you and Calleigh off this boat. The storm is already here, and if we wait any longer, we will all go down with this ship."

"Oh shut up Lieutenant!" yelled William. "I don't care what you have to say. I want to know what he has to say!"

Eric froze as William gestured towards him, waiting for Eric to make some articulate response. He'd been watching Calleigh the whole time, who looked like she was about to lose consciousness. She wasn't even reacting much. Rivulets of dark pink were slowly running down her wrists. Was that, was that blood?

He swallowed against the thought and tried to come up with some form of reasoning.

"I don't know what your reasons were for doing this, William, but I imagine you didn't start out trying to do any fatal harm to anyone. Right now, we just need you to put the gun down."

"God what is with you people? Disregard the firearm! Tell me what is WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!"

"We're in the middle of a storm and you decided to kidnap a bunch of people," returned Eric forcefully.

"No, you moron. Your concern should be the woman in front of me. Look at her, does she _look_ okay to you!?"

Eric and Horatio's gazes both scanned Calleigh, who feeling the attention turned to her, stood up straighter and raised her head towards William.

"Will, I am fine. You need to end this. We need to get off this boat," she said one more time, clearly repeating herself. "Just go with Horatio so they can get you to safety."

"You still don't understand do you?" he said only to her as he turned her completely around to face him, getting more agitated. "I need you to do something for me," he said as he brushed her hair out of her face and looked her square in the eyes. "I need you to tell Mark that I love him, tell Andre too. And I need you to take care of Charlie for me. I need you to make sure he gets out. I need you to tell them what really happened."

"Tell them yourself," she was afraid where this was going.

"You know I can't do that Cal, not with all I've done. I tried to make it up, I really did."

"I know you did, Will, I know," she said quietly. She said something else, but Eric couldn't hear.

"William, I'm coming closer, we need to get you in a harness."

"Stay back!" he yelled as he pulled Calleigh with him. "You stay back!"

Horatio stopped and paused, waiting for William to calm down.

There are actual moments in life when time slows down. When everything seemingly occurs in slow motion. When every heart beat lasts ten seconds and every breath of that sweet fresh air, is like the last.

He watched as William continued to yell, though now Eric couldn't decipher the words. William turned with the gun, Calleigh's gun, in his hand and pointed it at her forehead, then quickly swiveled it around and shot himself point blank between the eyes.

Shock could not even begin describe what they felt.

Before they had time to digest what just happened, Calleigh was suddenly lifted into the air by the hook she was hanging from. Not even giving Horatio or Eric a chance to get a hold on her slippery feet, the crane turned her slightly to leave her dangling over the boat, wobbling back and forth from the momentum of the ferocious waves.

And without so much as a warning, the chain quickly lowered itself into the water, with Calleigh attached. At first she hit a pocket of air, formed by the fluctuating height of the waves. Then another wave swept over her and they lost sight of her.

Without even giving it a second thought, Eric put the safety on his gun and tossed it to Horatio and dove in, ignoring Horatio's protests. Horatio gave the signal to the helicopter to drop another coast guard officer in the water.

Then Horatio began looking for the control switch that William was holding. Searching the deck of the boat, Horatio frowned at the quickly increasing pool of blood forming around William's head. The controller was not in William's hands, nor was it anywhere around his body. A loud clicking sound above him drew his attention upwards, where it had gotten tangled in Calleigh's chain and was jammed in the pulley attached to the crane that raised and lowered the hook/chain contraption. Panic was not an option, but increasing fear certainly was taking over. His two best CSIs were in the water and coast guard had just lowered another officer into the water with a caged looking backboard.

"Lieutenant Caine!" yelled an officer behind him. "We need to get his body and get aboard the boat sir. The helicopter can take her, but we still need to get your other CSI out of the water."

Horatio frowned. He needed to make sure Eric was okay. Jumping in like that was unacceptable. He was glad Eric had a safety vest on at least. Horatio bent at the knees and grabbed beneath William's armpit, mirroring the other officer. They managed to get a harness belt around him and watched as the other officers aboard his boat pulled William's body over.

Horatio followed them over and watched as the officer behind him expertly made his way over. The bridge was quickly withdrawn and Horatio walked to the bow to get a better view of what was going on.

Eric was desperate for air. Upon finally reaching Calleigh, who was submerged and being tugged roughly by the chain, he had to figure a way to get her above the water and undone. The chain that hoisted Calleigh into the air had considerable weight, and even in the salt water, it was not buoyant. The force of the moving boat and the swiftly moving water compounded the issue.

Needless to say, he was having difficulties unhooking her. He was also working twice as hard because he kept his life vest on, using the chain to guide him to Calleigh. As he started pulling at the hook, he realized it was a self-locking hook that was quite rusty and barely moved. He was going to need help in order to free her, or she was going to drown.

Just then he felt something grab his foot and for a moment he was afraid of aquatic terrors like sharks, but then he realized the coast guard officer from Dolphin 1 had finally reached him. The officer waved his hand in a calm way and took hold of the chain that was above water, noting that Calleigh was still below. Eric started to worry. She had only been able to come up for air once and that had to have been over a minute ago.

"I need you to go under when I do and wrap your arm around hers like so," he gestured towards Eric the way it needed to happen. "Keep your other hand on the chain and pull her forwards so we can get some slack. I'll unhook her, but you need to remain holding the chain."

"Understood," Eric yelled.

They both grasped the chain tightly and followed it down to Calleigh's arms, which they both wrapped around with their free arms. Pulling forward with all his might, Eric felt Calleigh's arms loosen as the officer managed on the second try to free her from the old hook. Immediately they surfaced, looking at Calleigh to see if she was alright.

"No time, help me get her to the medevac litter."

They battled the raging waters with all their might, pure adrenaline pushing them on. As they reached the backboard looking device with floaties, they carefully pulled her on and strapped her in tightly. He looked to Eric and motioned for him to attach his carabiner to an accessory line just as he was doing. Eric followed orders and soon felt himself being lifted out of the water, causing him to grab tightly to the Medevac litter.

He was too afraid to look at Calleigh, or anywhere else, so he watched the officer opposite him as he went about examining Calleigh. First thing, the officer used a utility knife and cut the plastic restraint from her wrists, which not only had cut into the skin, but had caused considerable bleeding. Her fingers were blue at the tips from hanging for so long; the lack of circulation to the area was evident. Without thinking he reached out and touched her arm and was surprised at how cool it was, cool and white.

Once they reached the helicopter, the officer swiftly maneuvered them all onto the craft and quickly got to work. First he handed Eric a helmet that had a microphone in it so he could hear what was being said between the officer and the two pilots. Eric was told to shut the hatch, which he quickly did, then moved out of the officer's way.

"Who are you?" asked the officer.

"Eric Delko, CSI, search and recovery."

"Ah, one main difference, mine typically have a pulse," said the officer as he pulled out a plastic bag from a compartment. Inside was a bag valve mask and oxygen tubing. He handed Eric the mask and hooked the tubing to an oxygen canister, giving 15 liters per minute.

"You current on your CPR?"

"Yeah."

"Then get to work," said the officer. "All I need are respirations. We got a pulse, weak but steady. You do that while I take care of the other stuff."

"You got it," Eric put the mask over Calleigh's nose and mouth then squeezed on the bag, thanking whoever deemed it necessary for them to receive CPR training. Last time he did this he was pulling a murderer out of a swamp.

The process of disassociation was thankfully in full swing as he watched the officer, whom he assumed was a medic or paramedic, perform all of these things on his best friend. Not right now she wasn't. To him, she was just another person to save. He couldn't make it more than that right now or he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"What, uh, what are you exactly?" asked Delko as he listened to the pilot and the officer across from him converse.

"Oh apologies. I'm Lieutenant Brian Laughlin. Call me Brian. Been a paramedic for about 12 years now. Can you hand me that?" he motioned for the heart monitor behind Eric.

Eric watched in morbid fascination as he'd been speaking, Brian had cut off Calleigh's shirt and removed it completely, applied the electrodes for a 12-lead, and prepared to get an electrocardiogram. He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around one arm and a pulse oximeter on her finger, to get a read of the oxygen levels in her blood.

"Good, we're getting her O2 stats up. Her airway was stable when I checked. I was really hoping there was no lasting laryngospasm. It's always really messy when I have to intubate."

Brian pulled out what appeared to be an IV start kit and was setting up to start a line in her left arm. For some odd reason Eric could barely watch as he stuck Calleigh's arm, feeling as though he were the one receiving an 18 gauge needle in his arm.

"Her BP is real low. Not sure if she's had any fluids in a while. I may have to start another line in her other arm if it doesn't improve. Hey Dave? ETA?"

"We gotta go around some messy clouds ahead so I'd say another 10 minutes easy."

"Thanks. Delko you doin' fine on respirations over there?"

"Yeah," he said, a little fazed by all the activity around him. He watched as Brian proceeded to cut off Calleigh's soaking wet pants and dry her off with a towel, then use a thermowrap to heat her up as he elevated her legs a bit.

"Okay, I need you to be real still for a minute. Going to try to see if we can get a good read from my monitor over here."

Eric removed the bag from Calleigh's face and watched as Brian pushed a button that started to read her heart activity. Once it beeped and spat out a strip of paper, Brian motioned for Eric to start again with the respirations.

"You know her?" asked Brian.

"Yeah."

"Age?"

"33? I think."

"Does she have any allergies?"

"Not that I know of."

"Medications?"

"Not sure."

"Any medical conditions?"

"Nope."

"Excellent. Okay I'm going to call this in to the hospital, you keep on doing that, nice and steady."

Eric listened as Brian made his report to the hospital, rambling off all the necessary information in order for them to receive Calleigh. They hit an air pocket and the chopper dipped a bit, causing Eric to hold tightly to the side bar beside his head. It was then that Eric realized how bumpy their whole flight had been and how amazing it was that they were actually flying in this weather.

As soon as he finished his report, Eric looked down and saw Calleigh start to cough violently. They tipped her on her left side and watched as dry heaving ensued, which produced very thick saliva, but little else. She definitely hadn't eaten in a while.

"Wow, she already killed my bag. Look at that," gestured Brian to the IV bag which was nearly depleted. He hooked up another bag to the line and transferred the fluids over.

"Go on ahead and take off the mask, she's breathing on her own now. We just need to get this non-rebreather on her."

Eric watched Brian put on another mask that had a small inflated bag attached to the bottom that also had oxygen running through it. Eric watched as her chest rose and fell slowly, only about 10 breaths a minute. He was a little concerned. He knew from first hand experience what hypoxia could do to the brain.

Before he could say anything, he felt the chopper lowering itself onto a pad. He helped Brian put another blanket on her and ensured that none of the tubes would get tangled as they exited the helicopter. Once they opened the doors, he saw two people waiting at the edge of the pad with a transport bed. Ducking so as to avoid the propellers, he climbed out on Brian's instruction and helped transfer Calleigh to the bed.

As they transported her into the hospital, Eric couldn't help but falter. This could qualify as one of the craziest days of his life, and the worst part? He was walking around Miami in a wet suit. Fantastic.

O-O-O-O-O

"She's stable sir, we just need a few more minutes and we'll call you back," said a nurse in dark blue scrubs.

"Thank you ma'am," said Kenwall.

"That didn't take too long, that's a good sign," said Ryan as he continued pacing back and forth.

"Ryan, if you don't stop pacing I will surgically place you in this chair," said Natalia with irritation.

"Since when are you capable of that?" said Ryan as he took the chair next to her.

"I've watched E.R. since the beginning. With all those hours, I'm at least a third year medical student by now," she replied sensibly.

"Right," said Ryan sarcastically. "Remind me to never get injured near you."

Just then, Eric walked into the waiting room adorned in scrubs and hospital slippers. Every one stood and walked to him as though he were the father and his baby had just been born, looking at him like he held some deep secret.

"How is she?" asked Horatio succinctly.

"I haven't seen her since we got here. That Paramedic did a lot of stuff to her when we were in the chopper. She should be alright though, nothing too serious."

"I take it your wet suit is airing out?" asked Natalia, eyeing his scrubs in an odd way. _My, my would he give George Clooney a run for his money._

"Something like that," said Eric as thought of the suit hanging precariously from a metal shelf down the hall. "Are we all going to get to see her?"

"Don't see why not," said Ryan as he crossed his arms.

"Ha," said Kenwall. "You don't know her very well do you? When she was 8 she was climbing a tree, retrieving her brother's kite. She jumped down and hurt her ankle. Two days later, she called us from the clinic in town asking us to pick her up. Turns out she'd fractured some of the bones in her foot. Thought she was fine at the time, but it didn't get any better, so she walked the two miles to the clinic to get it looked at. My baby hated people taking care of her, hated all that attention. Just wanted a ride home, and once we got there, she hopped out of the car and did her chores, hobbling the whole time. So, son, odds are, she's going to send y'all home without getting a look at her."

"But we just want to make sure she's ok," said Eric.

"Judging by what the nurse said, she's fine. Trust me. Calleigh won't want y'all back there. She hates for people to see her weak. It's her nature."

Eric shook his head and looked to Horatio who seemed to agree with this. Frowning, Eric saw Jake coming up behind Horatio. Did Duke know about Jake and Calleigh?

"Mr. Duquesne is right," said Horatio, "let's stick around a while longer, then head out."

"What the hell are you doin' here?" asked Kenwall, pointing at Jake.

"Checking on Calleigh," said Jake defiantly. Fantastic. It didn't bode well for Jake if Duke didn't like him. Eric could help but smile, and saw Ryan doing the same.

"Well, she's fine. She'd be even better if you'd let her alone."

Jake looked at him and laughed mirthlessly, muttering "You're not worth it," under his breath. He leaned against the wall, letting his head fall against it as he looked to the ceiling and closed his eyes and sighed. He looked the way Eric felt.

As a breeze passed by him, Eric looked to find Jeff standing to his right, looking a little discombobulated.

"How are the kids?" asked Eric.

"Like they just went on an exciting ride in a helicopter. They were glad to see their parents, but I think they're going to miss Andre. Apparently he made great pancakes in the shape of dolphins."

"And the parents?" asked Horatio. He didn't get a response as their attention was drawn to a PA who came out to get Duke.

"Is anyone else allowed back?" asked Ryan, shooting for it anyway. The PA opened Calleigh's file and scanned the sheet in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "It explicitly states that only her father is allowed back. If it's any consolation, she'll be out by the morning. We just need to monitor for the rest of the night to make sure her airway remains open. Right this way sir," motioned the PA as he walked towards her.

"Sorry, young man," he said with a smile to Ryan as he walked back towards Calleigh's room.

They stood around for a while longer, talking and going over what happened, none of them looking forward to writing their reports. Their spirits were considerably lighter, considering everything had been wrapped up and Calleigh and the kids were fine.

Eric watched from across the waiting room as Jake pushed off from the wall with his arms clasped behind his head. He looked so bad that Eric couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Jake walked back to the wall and returned to his prior position. In what was probably his most magnanimous gesture to date, Eric quietly offered Jake some advice.

"We're all going to head out soon, since Cal doesn't want anyone to come back." Jake didn't respond, just kept his eyes closed. For some odd reason, Eric persisted.

"If I may offer a piece of advice, maybe you should make her some food tomorrow then take off and let her have her time alone. You know she isn't going to want anyone around her when she gets out."

"I'm well aware of what she does and does not want," said Jake forcefully. He sighed loudly and leaned against the wall again, shaking his head. "Look, sorry, I uh, thanks Delko. I appreciate it."

"Yeah. Just treat her right. I'm pretty sure you'd be the most hunted man in South Florida if you don't," said Eric as he looked away when Jake opened his eyes and looked at Eric curiously.

They stood together in silence for a few minutes, until Calleigh's dad emerged to give them an update. He'd finally removed his blazer and rolled up his shirt sleeves, looking a bit more haggard now that the excitement had worn off.

"She's fine. She was pretty dehydrated when they got her here. There's a scratch on her cheek and her arms are a little torn up, but otherwise she's fine."

"Is she talking?" asked Natalia.

"No, not right now. She's really lethargic. In and out sorta. They said they'd release her around 6 a.m. "

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's head back to the lab and get everything straightened out. Eric, you ride with me," said Horatio, his tone of voice not leaving anything to the imagination. He was clearly angry with Eric.

As everyone walked away Horatio remained speaking with Duke, making Eric wait for him like a child. He turned and grabbed his wetsuit, wrapping it over his arm and sighing in frustration. At least Horatio waited for everyone to leave before he tore him a new one.

"Young man, you have a nice night. Thank you so much for your help. Thank you all," said Duke, waving goodbye as they left the floor. Eric took a look around and didn't see Jake anywhere. That didn't mean he didn't sneak back to see her though, and was the most probable conclusion.

"Our pleasure sir, no problem at all."

Walking out to the garage in silence, Delko debated whether he should just lambaste himself so he wouldn't have to listen to Horatio. He didn't have the energy to defend his actions at that point. Just get it out there and be done.

Before they got to the hummer, Horatio stopped and Eric did likewise.

"Is this going to be a problem?"

"Excuse me?"

"You and Calleigh. Is it going to be a problem?"

Eric furrowed his brows, clearly confused. There was definitely no him and Calleigh. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Suit yourself, Eric. But don't let it interfere with your work. Ever. First thing, you're suspended from diving for 30 days. What you did was incredibly reckless and dangerous. Second, you're now on Ryan detail. He has to be supervised for another month. He is your responsibility at all times."

Eric's jaw dropped. Was H actually punishing him? What was going on?

"H?"

But Horatio didn't stop, he climbed in the hummer and started it up, waiting for Eric to climb into the passenger side. They continued most of the way to the lab in silence, until Horatio broke it with not so great news.

"Tomorrow you'll have to write a report as to what happened specifically on that boat. Come in early and we can go over it so Stetler doesn't walk all over us."

"You think there is going to be an investigation?"

"Jeff told me that Dominic is thinking of pressing charges of negligence against him and Calleigh."

"Are you serious? They did everything right, documentation, notification, you name it. "

"Apparently, that's not good enough. He's still pissed, Eric. We're going to give them a few days to cool off, and hopefully this won't amount to much."

"What about Stetler?"

"You let me worry about him."

They drove off in silence, the tension rather unpleasant. Eric's mind ran over the conversation over and over. What was Horatio talking about? He would have jumped overboard if it had been anyone. It was a reflex. Well, almost anyone. But him and Calleigh?

Him and Calleigh?

Would there ever be such a thing?

O-O-O-O-O

So here's where it splits. Wednesday will give you a play by play of what happened on the boat. Throughout the next few chapters, flashbacks will be incorporated.

I really really hated using a Calliegh in danger! Sort of plot. But the thing is, she's the only one who hasn't really had this (except for that lame episode two from season five). Please go with me on this, it has more of a psychological purpose than anything else. Because let's face it, zombieCalleigh won't just disappear over night. Anyway, thank for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 11:?

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Coast Guard is definitely not mine. Jeff is mine.

**Important!!!: **Calleigh's thoughts are in _italics_, she is not saying those things aloud. She's thinking them as she tells her account of events. Most things in questioning are broken up by O-O-O. This does not provide everything that happened on the boat, but a majority of it. Please enjoy and let me know if you have questions that I can edit out or clarify.

O-O-O-O-O

It was 8 am the following morning and the lab was bustling with activity. Horatio had been locked up with Stetler and a few other Suits in his office for the past thirty minutes. Techs and CSIs alike walked past the office much more often than necessary, being shameless in their curiosity. Currently, there was a rumor going around that Calleigh and Tripp were coming in soon to give official statements as to what had happened.

"Can't they give her a day off or something?" asked Natalia from her microscope. They were knee-deep in another case already, the rest of the world not stopping for their rescue mission last night.

"Apparently, they are going to interview her twice, once right after she gets out and then again about 72 hours later," said Ryan as he scrapped a sample on a slide and squirted a clear solution on it. "Make sure her story matches up and everything."

"It's Calleigh. Of course it'll match up. But why?"

"Stetler is afraid of court action and is covering all his bases before the lab comes under fire."

"So glad he has the utmost faith in us," said Natalia. They worked a bit longer in silence until Maxine barged in.

"Hey guys. I just saw Calleigh down the hallway."

"Is she okay? Who's she with?"

"Tripp and Jeff. I guess they're going over to interrogation for this little pow-wow."

"Wonderful. Who wants to make popcorn?" asked Ryan as he started to pull off his gloves.

"Dude, show some respect," said Eric as he walked in, contemplating whether he should smack Ryan upside the head.

"Hey I was joking," said Ryan defensively. "Seriously though, do we get to watch this? It's going to leak out anyway."

"That's up to H, Ryan," said Eric as he rounded the counter. "Do you have your report finished? I have to review it before it gets submitted."

Ryan looked at Eric with dismay and irritation. Eric had been moody all morning. Everyone knew he'd been suspended from diving, but was that really what this was all about?

"Yes," he said shortly. "Let me go print it out."

"Thanks."

"What's your deal?" asked Natalia after Ryan left, cutting straight to the chase.

"Nothing."

She eyed him warily and rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Fine, if you aren't going to unload, then please don't spread your cheer to everyone else."

Eric looked up at her and frowned. She had a point.

"Sorry, it's been a rough couple of days."

"Yeah, well I bet there are a few who've been worse off than you," she said as she nodded to Frank, Calleigh and Jeff walking by DNA towards Horatio's office.

Apparently Calleigh had been given the chance to go home and get ready. She was dressed like she always was, cool and professional. If he didn't know to look for it, he never would have seen the small butterfly strips on her left cheek. Natalia watched Eric has his eyes remained fixed on Calleigh. This time they looked hard and cold. Something was definitely wrong.

O-O-O-O-O

"I don't want an audience Horatio," said Calleigh obstinately as she nodded towards the one way mirror. She'd rather set herself on fire than be story teller for their entertainment.

It was an hour and a half later, Frank and Jeff had already made their statements and had joined the growing crowd outside to watch Calleigh as made her own.

"They'll either get it now from you or second hand from somebody else. Now's the time to get the truth out and put it to rest."

Calleigh looked over the table at him and nodded, knowing he was right. She didn't know who was out there, but she figured there were plenty of people she didn't much care for.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's get this over with.'

Horatio gave her a warm smile then turned on the recorder sitting in the table between them. Right before he started, the door opened and Stetler walked in, shutting the door behind him. Horatio sighed and shut the recorder off.

"Calleigh," he acknowledged.

"Rick."

"Thanks for coming in so soon after they released you. I hope you understand why we have to do this."

Instead of responding, she nodded and waited for him to get comfortable. Horatio watched as Stetler opened a leather bound legal pad and dated the top with a silver Mont Blanc pen. Horatio once again pushed the record button and spoke into the mic.

"Case 02834179, this is the testimony of CSI Calleigh Duquesne regarding the events preceding Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 leading up to the suicide of William Redding and the capture of Andre Fuentes and Mark Redding as well as the rescue of Tomika and Dante Johnson. This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine conducting the interview assisted by IAB Sergeant Rick Stetler. Please state your name and rank for the record."

"Calleigh Duquesne, CSI level 3."

"To begin, we are going to ask some general questions, and then we'd like a basic account of what occurred on the 22nd."

Calleigh nodded and took a sip out of the bottle of water in front of her. Stetler began, his voice calm and practiced for interrogating.

"Was William Redding behind the attempted murders of Lieutenant Horatio Caine and Officer Harding?"

_Wow, went straight for it didn't you?_

"Yes. However, Redding did not shoot the gun that injured Lt. Caine, Andre Fuentes admitted to that."

"Thank you Ms. Duquesne, but please wait until those questions are asked."

"He is being such a prick!" said Ryan from outside. He was standing next to Natalia and in front of Eric. Jeff shook his head and sighed.

"Sad thing is, he's just getting started."

"Ms. Duquesne did William Redding and Andre Fuentes kidnap Tomika and Dante Johnson from their residence?"

"Yes."

"Were Tomika and or Dante harmed in any way in your presence?"

"No."

"What was Mark Redding's involvement in the kidnapping?"

"He was not involved in any way."

"Where did Mark Redding obtain his firearm?"

"I was not present when it occurred, but from what I could tell, Will - William took my gun and gave Mark his .38 Smith and Wesson for protection."

"Against what? You were unarmed, correct?"

"Yes."

Horatio watched as Stetler wrote some notes down and decided to ask a few questions.

"Were you harmed?"

Calleigh looked at Horatio, not expecting a question from him yet. She considered this and nodded.

"Yes."

"Was it of a physical or sexual nature?"

Her voice was composed as it had been throughout the whole interview, she took another sip of water and looked at him.

"Physical."

"I think she's having fun in there trying to build up suspense," remarked Natalia, noticing the way Calleigh took her time responding.

"Shhhhhh. I can't hear," said Jeff.

"In what way were you harmed?" Horatio's voice was very controlled and calculated.

"I was initially tranquilized by Andre's sister with a sedative. William slapped me once, pulled my hair once and I was also restrained with plastic ties that were self constricting."

"This was all done by William Redding?"

"Yes."

"No one else hurt you?"

"I did get kicked in the leg by Dante Johnson, but that was it."

Everyone laughed at her candor. Horatio smiled for what seemed the first time in a while.

"Can you confirm what William's state of mind was during your time with him on the boat?" Stetler continued questioning, moving on with his list.

"He was altered. He had bursts of anger normally without provocation and times of calm lucidity. He also had two seizures while on the boat, one of which I witnessed."

"You have heard that he had a brain tumor then?"

"Yes, Mark told me. Anaplastic astrocytoma."

Stetler leaned over and spoke in Horatio's ear quietly. Calleigh uncrossed her leg and brushed her hair behind her ear, her sleeve dropping to reveal the bandage on her wrist. She covered it quickly and stuffed her hands between her re-crossed legs for warmth, then looked out the window.

"Sorry about that, we will now move to your explanation of what happened. Just give us the basics, it'll be easier for you later when we need another statment. Feel free to take a break in between or when you need to."

"It shouldn't take that long, but thank you."

"What happened at approximately 1400 Monday the twenty first?"

"Detective Frank Tripp and I were interviewing suspected accomplices in the kidnapping of the Johnson children. Detective Tripp parked outside the residence of Andre Fuentes. He was the fourth person we'd interviewed that day. After surveying the scene and finding it safe we knocked on Fuentes' door which was answered by a young woman. She asked us inside and let us wait in their living area as she went towards the back of the house to get him."

O-O-O

"_Do you think something's odd about this?" Frank whispered as he looked over at Calleigh._

"_Yeah, she seemed a little unnerved by our presence."_

"_Maybe she has something to hide?"_

"_She said she was going back to get Andre, so I'm not sure what there is to hide."_

_As they stood there they heard a loud noise come from the other side of the house. Standing up immediately, they drew their guns and walked towards the sound, with Calleigh trailing behind Frank. As they approached a door that appeared to go into the garage, Calleigh heard a sound behind her and turned in time to see the woman stab her in the arm with a needle. Frank turned and took aim at the woman but the garage door opened and Andre hit Frank in the head with a large board, knocking him out. _

_Calleigh stumbled against the wall as whatever the woman injected in her with started make her dizzy and cause paralysis in her limbs, effectively disabling her. The woman injected the same substance in Frank, who still appeared to be breathing. Soon Calleigh felt her eyes grow heavy and the last thing she saw was Andre removing her cell phone and pager from her belt clip._

_When she came to, it was much later, hours later. It was hot. The kind of hot that even blinking caused her to sweat. Her head was pounding, like someone had hit her on the head instead of Frank. She was lying on her side with her hands tied tightly behind her back. As she opened her eyes further she found that she was on the ground, it appeared to be metal with chipping paint. Opening her eyes a bit further, she saw that there were bars surrounding her, old, dank and rusty, with the smell of oxidized iron filling the air. _

_Calleigh swallowed and felt as though she had a cotton ball tangled up in her mouth. She tried again, but that only produced a dry heave as she felt incredibly queasy. No sounds could be heard, which made her wonder if the drugs had messed with her hearing. Moving around a bit more, she realized that they'd put headphones around her head to muffle the sound. _

_Twisting a bit, she forced them off her head and listened again, trying to detect what was going on. Wherever she was, it was dark. There was little lighting and what she did have, came from a very small window up above her. She stopped moving when she heard movement behind her._

"_Welcome back Ms. Duquesne. I was wondering when you'd come to. Apparently Andre's sister gave you a stronger dose than she thought. Lucky for her, it wasn't lethal."_

_Calleigh tried to speak but found that she couldn't. No sound came out._

"_Oh please, don't trouble yourself with trying to question me. We're already so well acquainted."_

_William sat across from her against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. She watched as he played with his switchblade, cleaning underneath his nails with it. Her curiosity was evident as she watched him, noticing subtle features about his demeanor. His appearance was rugged, like he hadn't slept in a while. He had bags under his eyes and he hadn't shaved in what looked to be like days. _

_His eyes moved away from his hands and as he folded up his knife he looked directly at her. She almost gasped at what she saw._

_In the course of her career, she'd been witness to many types of eyes. Crazy ones, dead ones, devious ones. Never had she been able to describe them as maniacal. _

_Well, there was a first time for everything._

"_So let's cut to the chase. I'd like to make it clear that my goal is not to hurt the children. I'm merely going to relocate them for their own good. However, if they piss me off, I can't make that promise of keeping them unharmed. That's why I will stay away from them as much as possible."_

_He stretched his legs out in front of him and sighed as he leaned his head against the wall behind him._

"_Now, I was planning on making this trip with Andre and that's it. But Mark had to arrive and almost blow my cover, then you and that idiot cop showed up right before we left. And we could not have you just dashing in to save the day. Not after all the work I've done."_

_In her experience, when suspects started laying out their grand scheme of things, they normally slipped up here or there, revealing one or two things they never intended. Normally she'd get to ask all those questions that would prompt the revelation, but the gag in her mouth simply wouldn't let her._

"_There are a few things I need you to understand. First, and most importantly, there is a chance you won't make it out of this alive. Secondly, I'd like you to be aware that I have a little bit of a temper problem. It'd really be in everyone's best interest for you to be on your best behavior."_

_He stood up and gave her a smile that only people at the end of their rope possess. _

"_Let's see, what else?" he said as he scratched the side of his neck with the butt of the blade. "Oh right. We weren't planning on having extra people today, so uh there are no provisions for you, those go to Mark. Apologies."_

_With that, he left abruptly, closing the door behind him. _

_Why was it so hard for her to think? Nothing made sense. The words he sad were floating in and out of her head, forming nonsensical phrases that compounded the issue. She knew she was there for a reason. There were kids to protect. Tomika and Dante._

_Another wave of nausea washed over her flanked by overwhelming fatigue. Darkness started to cloud her vision, and once again, she succumbed to the night._

_O-O-O_

"I was tied up for a majority of the afternoon and well into the evening. Once I regained consciousness William came in and said a few things, then left."

"So this continued on for how long?" asked Stetler. He clearly only wanted the big picture. That was good, because the big picture was all he'd get.

"He came in and out of my holding cell throughout the night, asking random questions and talking for a while. No specific topic at any time.

She watched as Stetler wrote down a couple more things. This needed to end soon, she felt nauseous again. She hadn't been able to keep any food down and had already vomited once that morning. Delightful.

"I understand William disclosed information with regards to his older brother, Charlie."

"Yes, this was the following morning, after I'd already seen the kids and knew they were alright."

O-O-O

"_Is she sleeping?" whispered a little boy. There were voices near her. Calleigh opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. Someone had covered her eyes with a blindfold. What was with removing one of her senses every time she woke up? She'd be perfectly fine if they plugged her nose. Sense of smell was completely overrated._

"_No, look, she's starting to move," said a girl with an older sister tone of voice._

_Calleigh opened her mouth and realized the gag was no longer there, thankfully. She kept silent a while longer to listen for the other men on the boat. Hearing nothing, she decided to speak._

"_Tomika?" she whispered, hoping this wasn't a bad idea._

"_Yeah?" she whispered back, closer to Calleigh this time._

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Yes."_

"_What about Dante?"_

"_He's fine. He wants his red crayon though. I can't find it anywhere."_

"_Where is everyone?"_

"_Andre is working on the boat. I think something broke. Will and Mark are down stairs. They were yelling earlier about something. I hope Mark is okay."_

_Calleigh processed this and thought for a moment. They were already on the boat. This wasn't good. That storm was supposed to arrive on Tuesday. Getting trapped in the storm would not be good for any of them._

_She tried adjusting her legs because the pressure in her knees was becoming overwhelming. Unfortunately, there was no where for her to move. Did they stick her in a box?_

"_Tomika, my name is Calleigh, I work with the police."_

"_That's what Mark said. He also said that we shouldn't touch you because you'll bite us."_

_Calleigh couldn't help but smile at the younger girl._

"_I promise I won't bite you," Calleigh said, feeling like she was nine again, making some sort of pinky-swearing pact._

"_Cross your heart?"_

_Oh it was. This was the most serious of all pacts._

"_And hope to die," said Calleigh._

"_What's that mean?" asked Dante._

"_Nothing, it's just a promise you make," said Tomika._

"_What's a promise?"_

"_It's when you say you'll do something and mean it. And you never turn back on it."_

"_So you really will find my red crayon?"_

"_Maybe," said Tomika._

"_But you promised!" he said petulantly. Calleigh could tell someone needed a nap. To break up the inevitable argument, Calleigh decided to take her chance._

"_Tomika, would you mind taking off this blindfold?"_

"_I don't know if I can reach you," she said as Calleigh heard her struggling. A few pulled hairs later and Calleigh was free to survey her surroundings. Dark gray was quickly overcoming blue in the sky, ominous clouds adding to their depth. She was definitely on a boat alright. One that didn't look sea worthy. It hardly looked like it was a proper structure at alll._

_She looked around to get a better idea of where she was. No longer was she surrounded by bars; however she found that her legs were tied to what appeared to be a crane for raising and lowering catch nets. No matter how long the boat had been out of commission, it still reeked of crustaceans and fish guts._

_All of a sudden, she was jerked into a sitting position, her restraints cut at her feet then pulled up to stand. This was all easier said than done of course. Her feet were numb from the tightness of the restraints and she was still dizzy from the residual effects of the drugs, even though it was a day later._

_William, in all his stocky wrestling glory was pulling her down the stairs to the dank cabin where she'd been held the night before. Along the way, she saw beds for sleeping and a small kitchen, otherwise it was nothing spectacular._

_He pushed her into the back room with the cell and shut the door behind him leaving her in solitude once again. She noticed that he still had her gun tucked in the back of his pants. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if he didn't have a weapon._

_A few moments later and the door opened, this time revealing Mark, the youngest brother._

"_You're a cop?" asked Mark as he sat across from her, folding his legs beneath him as though it were story time. He looked too young to be in the military. He should be out with his friends, having a good time, not burying two siblings and facing the imprisonment of two others._

"_Sort of. I'm a crime scene investigator. There's a lot of collecting evidence and science involved. Searching for the truth and whatnot."_

"_You're the one that worked Charlie's case," he stated, recognizing her from court._

"_Yes," she said and looked away. Something had been nagging her for the past week. She needed clarity. "Can I ask you something?"_

"_Not like we're going anywhere soon, be my guest."_

"_Did Charlie shoot those men?"_

_Mark frowned and shook his head. "I'm not sure. Haven't spoken to him since the day it happened. He was never the violent type. If anything, he was too passive for anything like that."_

"_Sometimes our actions can be surprising."_

"_Yeah, but that's not Charlie. He's goofy and he laughs a lot. He'd try and throw punches or something, but he'd never be able to fire a weapon. He didn't even know there was anything wrong with the pot. Will knew though."_

"_Charlie said he was the one who found it. We had records of him purchasing the marijuana and traces of it in his system. Certain pieces of evidence are irrefutably against his favor."_

"_I never said he didn't smoke it. He's been smoking pot since he was 16. He dropped off quite a bit when he had to start supporting us after mom and dad died. But he was the one who took Gloria to all of her treatments and he was the one who stayed up with her at night when she couldn't sleep from the pain. I'd wake up in the morning and they'd always have bags of chips and cookies scattered around them. They always got serious munchies when they smoked together. It was about the only time we could get her to eat."_

_Calleigh tried to resituate herself as best as possible as her mind digested what Mark was telling her. _

"_Are those too tight?" asked Mark as he nodded towards her restraints._

"_A little, but I don't think it'd be good for you if you loosened them."_

"_Probably not. He's so much worse now."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You know he's got a brain tumor, right? Anaplastic astrocytoma."_

"_I wasn't sure, I couldn't get anything official from his doctors in Virginia."_

"_Yeah, he was diagnosed right after Charlie went to jail. He kept having these instances where he'd get really angry and then he'd black out and wouldn't know what happened. Then he started having seizures. He almost got pulled from the team his senior year because his coaches were afraid of his erratic behavior." _

"_Why didn't any of you say anything to him?"_

"_I spent most my childhood stuck in one of his half-nelsons. With how violent he'd gotten lately, I wasn't ready to march to the chopping block."_

_Calleigh weighed her words carefully, then just came out with it._

"_Do you think Will shot those men?"_

_Without even hesitating, Mark nodded._

"_I love him to death, he's one of the best people I've ever known. But he isn't the same guy anymore. It doesn't matter anyway. He's got like, four weeks left."_

"_He's dying?"_

"_Yeah, tumor is on his temporal lobe, that's why it's been affecting his personality and why he can't think of words sometimes. The seizures have gotten real bad too. He sometimes has up to three a day. Actually, that's the only reason why I'm down here. He's sleeping one off."_

"_He just had one?"_

"_Yeah. He gets these real bad headaches right beforehand, has a grand-mal, then needs to sleep it off for a while. Figured I come and keep you company."_

"_So kind," she looked at him with a smile._

O-O-O

"Did you interact with Andre Fuentes at all?"

"No, he stuck mainly with the kids or tried fixing the boat motor. The kids were more fun."

"So it was mainly you and William?"

"Yes." There wasn't much for her to say. Nothing that she and William talked about really needed to be repeated for this audience. Only his confession was important. No matter what insights he may have had into her personality.

O-O-O

"_You're awfully attractive," said William in a measured voice as he sat across from her outside her cell._

_Calleigh chose not to respond. He appeared to like one-way conversations the best._

"_Oh but I bet you know that already. You do live in Miami," he paused as he stood up and walked closer to her. "That's what I hate about the women here. They're hot and they know it. But where I went to school? Those were real women. They were gorgeous, but they didn't act like it. Most were unaware of the fact." _

"_But you, you are just as vain as the rest of them. You like being untouchable, don't you? That 'look but don't touch' ideal? That's absolutely cruel, you know. It messes with people minds. Let's be objective here. You are in fact, a beautiful woman, but not that beautiful. Though there is something about you, something I haven't quite figured out yet that makes you so appealing." _

_He was silent for a few moments and watched her as her eyes scanned the room, looking anywhere but at him._

"_You know, I've been watching you off and on for months. Don't look at me like that, I wasn't watching you in a scary stalker way. I'd just check up on you from time to time, see if you'd reformed your ways and there was no reason for me to intervene. I have to say, you are one of the saddest, most lonely people I've ever met. You go to work, and you work a lot. You come home and you do this or that, but you rarely smile or laugh at all. Every once in a while, you go out, normally with a different man each time, but you're never out for too long. What is holding you back? Why won't you let yourself be happy?"_

_He looked at her this time, clearly waiting for her to respond. Oh this was interactive now? _

"_Why don't you tell me why?" she replied. "You've been so good at answering everything else."_

"_You're also quite bitchy when you want to be. It's not like you're the ice queen. I've seen you out on dates and flirting. You do flirt remarkably well. It's quite manipulative."_

_Calleigh continued to remain silent, no point in commenting._

_He took a seat opposite her and sat down, pulling a folder from seemingly thin air. He cracked it open as he propped his legs up on the wall, scanning over the material inside._

"_Calleigh Duquesne, valedictorian, high school. Summa cum laude, Tulane University honors Physics. Accelerated Masters Program in Physics. Second in your class, police academy. Hmmm," he said as he rubbed his jaw with the backside of his fingertips. "I'm detecting a pattern. Perfectionist much?"_

_He turned the page and started reading from a paragraph halfway down._

"_Arrest, drunk and disorderly, 1981," Calleigh's head snapped up and she looked at him fiercely. "Arrest, drunk in public 1985, charges dropped. Arrest, domestic dispute 1992. Well goodness Calleigh, looks like your childhood was a little rocky. Tough luck though, right? I hope you don't use that as an excuse for the way you live now. "_

_Calleigh frowned at him and looked down, then finally started to speak._

"_Arrest, 1993, driving under the influence. Arrest, 1996 Cocaine possession, charges dropped. Arrest, May 1997 Driving without a license. Arrest 2001 Assault. But I guess it worked out fine, didn't it Will? Because the last time, your dad drove him and your mom into a tree."_

_He looked at her like he wanted to slap her. But he didn't. His fingers itched to do it though._

"_Yeah you know nothing about my problems," he returned weakly._

"_But you know everything about mine?"_

"_You can't identify with me, so stop trying. Crappy childhood is where our lives stop at being similar."_

"_Right because you went to a boarding school and were recruited by one of the best colleges in the nation for wrestling. From what I can tell, you escaped your family pretty well."_

"_That's not fair," he shot back. "It wasn't my choice to go to that school. Gloria said it was for the best. She never got to go to college. She was too busy taking care of me and my brothers after our parents died. Charlie hated school anyway, so there was no way he was going to go finish."_

_He stopped talking and Calleigh waited for him to finish, but he just sat there in contemplation. The way he approached things intrigued her. She didn't have a degree in psychology or anything, but she still felt like there was more than a brain tumor at the root of all this._

O-O-O

"Tell me about his confession. Did he explain Charlie's role in all this?"

"He said Charlie didn't do it. Except for the hostage. Everything else, was all William."

O-O-O

"_Will, why'd you really bring me here?" she asked quietly, her voice almost plaintive._

"_He didn't do it."_

_That narrowed it down. Her mind raced. _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Charlie," he said just as quietly. He walked to the far wall and leaned against it, easing to the ground with his knees bent. "He never killed anyone. Well, except for that one guy during the hostage thing. But that was an accident anyway. He's never shot a gun in his life."_

_Calleigh suddenly felt sick. It was all starting to fall in place. The way he'd planned everything, except everyone lived. Everyone except Andrew. _

"_Will, we found evidence of Charlie all over that house. He confessed to 6 counts of murder."_

"_No, I found out that those idiots were stiffing us. The pot was totally whack. My sister was in immense pain, and we were paying thousands for nothing. On top of everything else, I kept having these problems where I'd get really angry. And this was one of those times where it felt like, everything inside me was fire. I just, I got there and I was so pissed."_

_Calleigh watched as he started pacing around, his voice growing hoarse from trying not to cry. She'd heard confessions far too many times for them to affect her. _

"_Before I knew it, the guys pulled out their guns and started shooting at me, and I tripped this one lanky guy and got his gun and started firing. Then that one guy fell going outside and the sound his neck made when it snapped? I still have nightmares." He stopped and was breathing deeply, and had this look of disgust on his face._

"_It's like one minute I was walking there, mad at the world, and the next, I was standing around and blood was everywhere. All I knew was I turned around and Charlie was behind me, he'd followed me there, and he looked… he looked so afraid of me. He couldn't even look me in the eyes. He told me to get out and to hand him the gun that I was using. And he told me to run as fast as I could for as long as I could. And I took off. Then I heard another shot, and I wanted to turn back so badly, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop running. I couldn't even remember what had happened for months."_

_Calleigh was surprised to find a solitary tear fall from her eye. Maybe she wasn't as dead as she thought. She watched him standing there and he seemed to crumble in on himself, completely lost at what he'd done._

"_I thought… I thought that if I could make it better, that if I could make it up somehow, maybe this wouldn't have been in vain. There are 9 kids that don't have fathers because I shot them. Four of those guys were married. When I got to law school, I plugged away methodically, but I kept feeling this immense anger that I'd had for the whole year. You know what I'm talking about, you've read my file."_

_She nodded and he sat down across from her, only the bars separating them. He pulled the gun out of his pants and set it behind him, pointing it away._

"_During the last year, I've had the chance to realize how important every day is, how your relationships and friendships should take precedent in your life. Work is work, Calleigh. It shouldn't make you happy or control your life. It's just a job in the end. You can always get another one. That's why I chose Lieutenant Caine. All he does is work. And he's great at it. But that's it. He's a miserable person. Officer Harding? He was the one that drove my brother to and from jail during the court hearings. You know what he said to my brother? "Another latino asswipe off the streets, not dealing drugs anymore. I don't see what the big deal is. In my opinion, you did us all a favor.'"_

_Calleigh looked down at this, embarrassed by someone who worked for the police department. She hated that mentality. A homicide was the unlawful loss of life, stripping a person of their innate human rights. It didn't matter who the person was or what they did._

"_I don't know if you noticed this, but the surgeon that worked on Harding was from El Salvador. He's one of the best in Miami. I felt like a little karma would do him some good."_

O-O-O

"So he was acting as a vigilante of sorts?" asked Stetler, making a slightly irrational leap in William's role throughout all this.

"I think he wanted to right what he'd done wrong. And maybe shine the light on areas other people could improve."

O-O-O

"_So you shot Horatio and Harding because they needed to reform their ways?"_

"_No, Horatio needs to get his head out of his ass and live his life. I don't think it worked though. Not since we took you. He's probably freaking out in his little head. I'm hoping you'll enforce all my hard work, after this is over."_

"_What is this? Exactly?"_

"_Oh, We're taking the kids to Disney World. That's where the parents will pick them up, only after going to the park of course."_

"_I don't understand," Calleigh was confused. He couldn't just waltz into Disney World, one of the highest security places in the world, with regards to child abduction and expect to get away with it. Besides, what did kidnapping his children have to do with Dominic Johnson?_

"_Johnson is a creep. A great lawyer, but a creep. He's been thinking of cheating on his wife for weeks. There's a new clerk in his office fresh out of law school. She doesn't know any better though. He's already had one affair. His wife neglects the kids too. Theresa. She always pawns them off on their nanny. Have you seen those kids? They are fantastic. You pawn brats off to other people. Not good kids. Those kids should never have to live that way."_

"_So this is to make Johnson realize what's most important in his life is his family?"_

"_I should hope so. Was he properly befuddled and teary-eyed when you saw him last?"_

_Calleigh nodded. _

"_There ya go."_

"_No, Will, it doesn't work like that. This is a traumatic event. Eventually Johnson will go back to being Johnson. Horatio is always going to be a work horse and Harding is going to keep his mentality. And your brother? He's not coming back. People do not change unless they want to change."_

_The last part about his brother slipped, and she knew she'd gone too far. He stood up and kicked the bars, biting back a yell._

"_Andrew was an accident. He didn't agree with what I was doing and we started to wrestle with the gun and it went off. I thought at first I'd been shot, because I had so much blood on me. But then I looked down and his eyes had glazed over and blood was coming out of his mouth and he was breathing funny. Then I heard someone knocking on the door and I had to get out of there fast. So I just lay him on the floor and I climbed down off the balcony and took off."_

_This was quite possibly the worst chain of events imaginable. It was like he was a dark cloud of doom. His great ideas of redemption were awful even if conceived under good intentions._

O-O-O

"Did William confess to killing his brother Andrew?" asked Horatio, curious to what William had done in Gainsville.

"Andrew was an accident. A byproduct of an argument and he got hurt in the scuffle."

"Thanks, but we already have the report from Gainsville. They ruled it a homicide. There were no defensive marks and based on the entrance wound, he had to have been shot from four feet away."

Calleigh frowned at this, not commenting. The nausea was getting worse and the room was definitely starting to spin. She needed to get out of there soon.

"What else happened? You haven't explained exactly how you got that," said Stetler, motioning to her cheek.

"Not long before he called the Johnsons, it was raining pretty hard and I managed to slip from my restraints. I was running towards the VHF to try to make contact, but Will came out of no where and grabbed me by the hair and my legs went one way while my head went another."

O-O-O

"_Jesus, Calleigh, you are the hardest headed person I have ever met. But I totally thought you'd have gotten out of your restraints much sooner than that. Come on, get up," William motioned for her while she lay on the deck of the boat, slightly dazed. It was late in the evening on Tuesday and she had gone too long without food or water. Her body wasn't reacting as quickly as it would under normal circumstances._

_When she didn't get up fast enough and he jerked her up by her arm, causing her body to lurch and her head to hit the sharp corner of some retired rigging equipment. _

"_Woah, you okay?"_

"_Fine."_

"_You're bleeding."_

"_I'm fine."_

"_Whatever." He began wrapping a plastic tie around her wrist, interlinking it with the other. He pulled them tight, but not too tight._

"_This okay? Now don't try moving too much, these are self constricting. They get tighter the more you struggle."_

_She remained silent, angry at herself for forgetting his aggressive tendencies. As she stood in front of him, she found that he was not much taller than her, only by three inches. He must have taken supplements during high school, which caused his muscular physique. Holding her restraints he kept looking at her, as though he were trying to figure something out. He wasn't angry as she thought he would be. Slightly irritated, but not angry._

"_We need to get out of here," she said quietly. "The storm is on its way and this boat is hardly floating, Will. Make contact. Call the parents. You want to end this? Now's your chance."_

O-O-O

"So that was right before he contacted the Johnsons? Why didn't you try to get him to make contact before then?" asked Stetler tersely.

"He'd had a seizure about three hours before that. Mark carried him to one of the beds in the cabin to let him sleep afterwards. He'd had another one late the night before, but it hadn't been as severe."

"But you still didn't make contact?"

"No. I was in the cell for most of the morning. They had me tied up on the deck for most of the afternoon, where Mark kept watch. He's pretty good at that, being a Marine and all."

"Woo hoo hoo," said Ryan. "Stetler's going to get his balls blown off soon if he doesn't get off her case."

"Charming, Ryan," said Valera, who'd recently joined the group. "Does she look a little pale to anyone else?"

Eric frowned. Calleigh looked tired. They hadn't let her go home and rest yet. There was no way they could keep questioning her for much longer. Why wasn't Horatio saying anything?

Ignoring her comment, Stetler continued.

"Can you explain what happened leading up to the arrival of the coast guard?"

"The waves started getting higher and were pouring over the side of the boat. The kids were afraid and Mark was trying to entertain them down below. Andre was trying to keep everything steady until the coast guard arrived, and Will was progressively getting worse."

"What do you mean worse?"

"He was altered. He couldn't focus and was very agitated. He kept talking to himself and acted like his head hurt him a lot."

Eric watched Calleigh closely. Her movements were stiff and her voice devoid of all emotion. Eric glanced at Horatio who looked slightly concerned. Calleigh did look awfully pale.

"And this resulted in you getting hung from a hook?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to backtrack for a moment. It seems like William was trying to vindicate himself, right a lot of wrongs, like you said. Do you think William was trying to take the blame for his brother Charlie?"

Calleigh blinked at Stetler. She couldn't quite hear him. There was this loud buzzing in her ear. It was something about Charlie.

"Could you repeat the question?"

"Was William taking the fall for Charlie?"

"No, he was not."

"Do you have evidence to support his confession?"

She couldn't hear him. The buzzing was getting louder. Her skin was moist and her arms were freezing. She pulled her sleeves down over her hands and crossed her arms. She needed to get warm. She closed her eyes and saw an image of Will, smiling at the kids as they ran around Andre laughing. Opening her eyes she saw Will and Mark talking quietly. She could hear his voice now in her head, whispering as though he were close to her ear.

"Calleigh?"

"_Work isn't everything!...You deserve more than this… I saw you with them, they like you. Kids like you…Charlie couldn't even look me in the eyes… So angry… I know what you're afraid of…"_

She closed her eyes again. It was Will holding her gun to her forehead. All she could hear was her own breathing. Nothing else. The look in his eyes was of sheer desperation.

Breathe in. And then he turned it on himself and fired. Breathe out.

All was black.

She put her arms on the table to steady herself, in the process she knocked over her bottle of water. Horatio pushed his chair back, alarmed. He walked around the table and kneeled next to Calleigh's chair.

"Sorry," she uttered.

"We're done here," he said to Stetler firmly.

Eric was already in the interrogation room before Stetler had a chance to collect his things. Scowling at him, he walked over to Calleigh who looked like she was about to pass out.

"Eric, get Jeff to take her home."

"H, let me - "

"I need you here."

No room for argument.

Her vertigo passing, Calleigh realized that something wasn't quite right. She shook her head to clear away the fog. She didn't feel good. Home. That's where she wanted to be. Home and in her bed.

Standing up abruptly, she pushed her chair back and left the room, Eric and Horatio in tow. Jeff, who had been standing outside with Eric, knew he was needed and took Calleigh's arm. He kept her in semi-privacy in the hallway beside the room, waiting for her to come out of her daze.

"Calleigh?" Jeff whispered. Eric grabbed the can of soda Jeff was holding and opened it up. "You thirsty? Calleigh drink this."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes; the walls were closing in on her. They needed to leave her alone. All she needed to do was get home. She didn't want to be there. She wanted to be anywhere but there.

Slowly opening her eyes, Callegih was able to focus once again, and the buzzing began to subside. The dizziness was also gone. She took another deep breath and realized Eric was trying to hand her a drink. He sounded worried. Looking up, she saw Jeff and Horatio looking as concerned as Eric. Just the looks of sympathy stirred this unbearable ire in her. She shook her head once again and offered a feeble smile.

"Sorry, I don't know what happened back there," she said in her best placating voice. "I'm going to go home for a little bit and get some food. Can we finish this later?" she asked, looking at Horatio.

He could tell she wanted to pretend like nothing happened. Shaking his head he fingered his sunglasses and shoved them in his breast pocket.

"Yes, call me when you want to finish. Jeff is going to take you home, if you don't mind."

She wanted to protest, but she knew they wouldn't let her drive. Her car wasn't there anyway. Her father had dropped her off earlier, as per doctor's orders and his own insistence that she not drive.

To get away from their overwhelming concern, she gave Eric and Horatio a comforting smile and walked into the surprisingly empty hallway. Someone must have cleared them out. Jeff glided her along with a hand on her back, not saying anything, but clearly biting back the comments.

"Don't say anything, please. It's not worth it," she muttered to him as they approached the elevator. Right as the doors closed she caught sight of Eric.

O-O-O-O-O

As she entered through her front door, she was greeted by the bombastic drumming of Queen and the smell of eggs and sausage. Lucky her, Jake could break into houses, among other things.

She walked into her kitchen and saw a surprisingly small mess, from what she could remember Jake never did anything without leaving an hour of clean up. She watched as he flipped a pancake in the air, smiling at himself for his culinary skills.

Feeling a pair of eyes upon him, he stopped abruptly and turned around; looking like a 10-year-old caught playing in his dad's shop. He gave her a childlike smile and held his gloved hands in the air in a shrug. She couldn't help but smile at his innocence, what with the apron and the gloves, it really was quite nice.

"I was trying to get this done before you got back. Don't worry, I won't stay and bug you."

He was already pulling off his gloves and carrying her plate over to her underused kitchen table, which was set for one. She was taken aback by his hasty retreat. It was unlike him to be so willing to be accommodating. For all his brashness and disregard for the rules, sometimes he had a few surprises up his sleeve.

Touched by the sentiment, she walked over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him along as she grabbed a plate from the cabinet and returned to the table setting it beside hers as she piled food on top of his as well. She felt him snake and arm around her waist and pull her close to him and she could tell that's all he wanted. Just to have her close and safe.

Calleigh turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling back to look at him. He couldn't look her in the eyes and she knew why. He might not be able to cry, but his eyes always betrayed his emotions.

"Hey," she whispered, "look at me," she brought his chin up a little to where he finally trained his eyes on hers. No tears, but definitely fear.

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired."

He didn't say anything, just pulled her into a vice-like hug. She could feel his heartbeat on her cheek and the depth of every breath. Maybe it was because she was kidnapped or maybe he actually cared a lot more than she thought he did. Either way, she wasn't prepared for this type of welcoming. Jake had maybe one sensitive bone in his body, and it almost always broke under the pressure.

"Your hands are so cold," he whispered into her hair as he commented on her hands wrapped around his neck. She didn't mention that she could barely feel them or that her pinky was still a little blue at the tip.

"Here, you should eat, it'll get cold soon."

They both sat down and she picked up her fork to start eating, amazed at how heavy it was. Fingering the edge of the handle, she couldn't help but notice the sensory damage. They said she should get it back in a few days, but that she'd probably always have difficulty with temperature control and that she'd have to watch out for frost bite if she ever moved to a cooler climate.

Fat chance.

After taking the first few bites and finding herself a lot hungrier than she thought, she found a few moments later that her plate was mysteriously empty. Jake looked over at her plate and his eyes got noticeably wider, giving her a proud smile.

"Now that's the Calleigh I know. Out-eating men and still wanting seconds. More grits?"

She smirked at him and took another helping of grits, eggs, pancakes, and toast. The tight wad that her stomach had become was slowly unwinding itself, happy to have something to digest. He even made her cheese grits. She was truly surprised by his thoughtfulness. It almost made up for his typical cavalier behavior.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jake Berkley?"

"Ha, ouch. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Breakfast? Cheese grits? Non-acidic orange juice? I'm just surprised you came up with all this, that's all."

"Hey, I'm not completely barbarian," he said in mock indignation. Feeling her eyes on him once again he looked up to meet her for a battle of resolve. He'd break her with one sentence.

"Actually, Delko suggested it," he said, watching her response closely. This was make-or-break for him. He knew something was up. All he needed was for her to verify.

"Did he?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly. Otherwise, nothing, not even a blink.

She should work for the C.I.A. with skills like that.

"Yeah, I think he's got a thing for you," Jake said as he took another bite of his eggs, knowing full well what he was doing. Shark infested waters would be safer than where this conversation was headed.

"Really?" she asked, voice cool and unaffected. "Maybe you should ask him about that. I've learned not to assume things about other people. Tends to get me in trouble."

Completely evasive yet sarcastic. Oh yes, she was good.

O-O-O-O-O

Calleigh entered the lab around seven that night, feeling a little renewed with her ability to keep food down, but still exhausted due to the lack of sleep which was still evading her. The halls were relatively quiet; the only sound was the soft click of her heels as she walked down the corridor towards Horatio's office.

As she approached his door, she saw him standing behind his chair facing outwards, looking out the windows on the night-lit scene below him. Hearing his glass door swing open, he acknowledged her only slightly by bringing his head level, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Looking out there, you'd never guess we had a tropical storm last night," he said quietly.

"Oh I don't know about that, there are still quite a few power lines down," said Calleigh as she took a seat in front of his desk, wanting to expedite the process.

"How about you take the rest of the week off?" he suggested, more like told her as he sat down across from her.

"Horatio, I'm fine. I just hadn't eaten this morning after I left the hospital, that's why I was so weak."

"Calleigh, IAB is reviewing Charlie Redding's case, trying to see if you made an error in collecting evidence; Dominic Johnson hasn't backed down from wanting to file a suit; and most importantly, you were involved in a highly traumatic event that you haven't even processed yet. Do me a favor, take the rest of the week and we'll talk on Monday."

As she sat there, a couple thoughts popped up in her head. _Work isn't everything…_ _Do you even know who you are anymore… Take a chance every once in a while, it might surprise you…_ Would she ever be rid of Will's incessant ramblings?

"Do you feel different?" she asked him, analyzing his features.

"What do you mean?"

"Since getting shot, since almost dying. Do you feel different. Do you view anything differently?"

"I feel older, that's for sure," he said in an evasive way. He was the master at conversational warfare.

"So getting shot wasn't exactly life changing for you?

"Was it supposed to be?"

Calleigh sighed. Even though she had a different relationship with Horatio than the rest of the team, he could still be frustrating like none other.

"What about you? Do you feel different?"

"Besides the tingling in my extremities?" she replied off-handedly and watched his lips form a thin line. "Sorry, like I said. I'm fine."

"Well, we'll let you take the rest of the week affirming that opinion."

Her irritation was growing at his casualness of the situation. He was essentially suspending her in the nicest way possible. This was pointless. She had better things to do. Like wash her linens or dust her china.

She stood up and unclipped her badge from her belt loop, and gave it a look bordering on reverence as her thumb grazed the emblem. Sighing lightly, she lay it down on his desk. She had no gun to offer, something that had been in the back of her mind all day. It wasn't something she was ready to think about yet.

"Your sidearm is in evidence for processing."

"That's okay," she said quietly. "I'm not so sure… if I want it back," it was her first admission that maybe everything wasn't _fine._

He nodded and perched his chin upon his closed fist as she offered him a 'goodnight' and stating she'd come in Friday to go over things.

"Calleigh?" he watched as she stopped by the door, hand resting lightly on the glass to keep it open. "My life wasn't changed. But I do look at things a little differently."

She gave him a real smile and looked down at the ground, filing his comment away. He watched her blonde hair as she walked down the corridor, the hall lights illuminating it from different angles, giving her retreating form a glow of sorts.

Rounding the corner, Calleigh hesitated as she saw Eric reading a folder and walking at the same time. She had so many mixed feelings towards him at the moment that she couldn't decide which one to process first. Anger, gratitude, frustration, fear, a little more anger. Take your pick.

As if sensing her presence, he looked up and upon seeing her, a smile graced his features. She continued walking towards the elevator as he met up with her along the way.

"You're looking much better," he said warmly.

"Yeah it's amazing what a breakfast and solitude will get you these days," she replied and watched as he grew puzzled.

"What?" his mind went back over the events of that day and he realized that something was clearly askew by the way she was looking at him.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't try to sabotage my relationships before they even begin," she said as she pushed the 'down' button a little too forcefully as she waited for the elevator to arrive. Perhaps anger would be the emotion of choice for the time being.

Eric held his hands up plaintively as he automatically grew defensive. "Hey, that was only so he wouldn't do anything stupid. I wasn't _trying_ to do anything."

She looked at him and shook her head to herself as she boarded the elevator, which he also did. Perfect, if they got stuck on this elevator together, only one would come out alive.

He pushed 'G' and stood there as she fumed silently next to him. He knew that's not what this was about. There had to be something else. Reaching out once again, he pushed the emergency stop button right before it reached the bottom floor and faced her, preparing for battle.

"Why don't you tell me what this is really about instead of you bringing _Jake_ into it."

Calleigh's eyes widened as she realized he was going to trap her in there. Her look resembled that of a caged animal. Eric didn't notice though, he had one purpose and it consumed all of his attention. She looked at him spitefully and ignored his statement, reaching around to push the emergency button again to release tem. Her need to get out of the confined space far outweighed her desire to make a point.

Her silence only seemed to anger him more, bringing both of their tempers to nearly equal heights.

"Answer me!" he said firmly as he watched her step off the elevator and start walking away. It was the first time in a very long time he could ever remember feeling this angry. It almost felt good to feel this type of emotion.

Calleigh spun on her heel abruptly, her hair trailing after her like a small cape. The look in her eyes was almost enough to make him back down, but not quite.

"This!" said Calleigh as she pointed between them vehemently. "This is why, I didn't," she stopped and turned around, shutting her mouth before she could finish what she started.

"What?" said Eric, "_This _what?" his tone matching hers in ferocity.

"Nothing," she said, walking away.

Eric reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him

"No, say it. Say what you're thinking."

"Eric, let me go," she said quietly and sternly. It was how low her voice got that was alarming. Yelling was one thing. The words that hurt normally came out at just above a whisper.

"No, this has been going on far too long. I want to know what's holding you back."

Calleigh twisted out of his grasp and gave him a look of resentment and defeat. Shaking her head she looked down at the ground. As she looked up at him again with resolve in her eyes, he knew he wasn't going to get the answer he was looking for.

"What you did yesterday was incredibly reckless Eric, and you could have gotten yourself hurt or killed. I would have been fine, one way or another. There was no need for you to get in that water and come after me," she said as her voice cracked a little, to which she frowned. She turned around again, continuing down the thankfully deserted hallway.

"Right Cal, that makes perfect sense. When we pulled you out, you weren't even BREATHING. Yeah, you definitely didn't need me at all. Or is that what really makes you so angry? Maybe it's the fact that I was actually saving you for a change?"

"Damnit, Eric I had the situation under control. All I needed was for you and Horatio to get the others, that's all."

"And we did that."

"Yeah and then y'all came for me, putting yourself in danger. Putting others in danger. Do you know how I would have felt if something-" she stopped again, her voice starting to waver.

"Happened to you?" he said softly, all anger out of his voice. "Yeah, I know exactly how it would feel. That's why I was there on that boat and why I saw what you saw. Accept that. It isn't going to change Calleigh."

He turned and started to walk back towards the elevator but stopped one more time and gave her a fierce look.

"One more thing. I would have gone back for almost anyone, it's what I do. You're special, Calleigh, but you're not that special."

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Going to take few days off from this lil' piece of distraction. In case any of you were wondering, actually all of you are because this is really why you're reading the story, next chapter will revolve heavily around the E/C friendship dynamic.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 12:?

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Mateo and Atticus are: mine.

**A/N: **This was fun to write, if a little daunting. It's a lot easier to write a story without accessory characters to think about. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. Comments appreciated, and thanks for reading! Oh, I'm thinking of doing something with one of her brothers, either a chapter or an aside piece. Thoughts?

O-O-O-O-O

Stretching out languorously on his hammock, Eric took in a deep breath and sighed. His back was tense, the muscles tightly wound and bound. He still hadn't gotten a decent night of sleep which contributed considerably to his discomfort. He didn't like the way he'd ended things with Calleigh last night, and he'd felt discombobulated all night and day. If it weren't for fear of how she'd react, he'd go over and see her. His doorbell sounding punctuated his last thought and caused him to climb awkwardly out of his hammock, walking quickly to meet his unknown guest.

Eric opened the door and leaned against the frame, looking at his guest expectantly. She looked small and more casual than he'd ever seen her, dressed in jeans, flip flops and a long sleeve t-shirt. Her hair was down, but she had minimal make-up on, like it wasn't worth the effort.

"Hey," she said quietly, in that intimate way she had, the voice he liked to think she reserved for him only.

"I already ordered Girl Scout cookies, try the guy across the street," he replied as he pretended to shut the door, grinning as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You know, I came over here to extend an olive branch, but if you are going to be patronizing about it," she said as she started to turn away.

"Woah, woah," he said as he reached out and grabbed her arm, mindful that it was uninjured one. "Take it easy there Flash, I was just testing out something."

"What, my complete abhorrence for any insinuation that my height dictates my recreational activities?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I'm sustaining life through the aid of caffeine right now. I stopped by two coffee places on the way here. Did you know that the one on the corner will not put more than four shots of espresso into a regular sized coffee?"

Eric stood there and blinked, completely speechless at her rapid outburst.

He pulled her further into his house and closed the door. With both hands on her shoulders he pushed her from behind towards his kitchen where he gestured for her to climb onto a stool at the counter.

"When's the last time you slept?"

"Drug induced or natural?"

"Just a good 8 hour night of sleep?" he asked as he pulled out a pitcher of water of the refrigerator.

"Probably never. Ooooh I love pineapple!" she got up from her stool and brushed past him into his refrigerator where she retrieved a bowl of freshly cut pineapple.

"Calleigh-"

"Did you know a pineapple is a berry?"

"Uh no, but-"

"My cousin Jo once had a dog named Pineapple when we were younger. He had this little bow that made his hair look like the shape of a pineapple. That poor dog, we accidentally scorched his hair when that stick of dynamite went off too soon," she paused for a breath and continued. "Goodness he would jump every time we closed a door after that. Poor boy."

At this point Eric had taken a seat opposite her and was using his own fork to stab a piece or two of pineapple before she devoured it in her caffeine induced haze. Head perched on his closed fist, he simply watched her speak; amazed that so much could come out of someone so small. He'd heard horror stories from his cousin Mateo about women doing this verbal dump when they were stressed out, but he hadn't seen this behavior from Calleigh since that little 'incident' with the cocaine.

Absolutely fascinating.

Especially coming from Calleigh.

"And so, we were all lined up shooting and," she paused, realizing that she'd finished the entire bowl. "Oh no. Eric, I ate all your pineapple."

"Yes, yes you did."

"I'll go get you some more," she said, getting up to go.

"Ha, no no. You're not going anywhere. You probably shouldn't drive until your heart rate slows down a bit… That and you stop bouncing off the walls."

"My heart is not beating fast," she said, putting her index and middle fingers on her neck, searching for her carotid pulse. "Okay maybe a little, but nothing to sound the alarms. Where was I? Oh yes. Pineapple," she continued towards the door but Eric quickly swung around the counter and as a last ditch move, wrapped his arms around her waist, preventing her from moving forward any further.

"Just…stay," he said quietly, pulling her to him and keeping her back to his chest as he whispered in her hair, his eyes closed as he unwittingly breathed in her scent. He could feel the energy coming off her in waves.

Calleigh felt as though an anchor was tugging her as she sped off in the crazy forces of the sea. She could feel his closeness, his warmth. His unyielding need. Unconsciously, her hands moved to cover his, and she finally took a deep breath, relinquishing a week's worth of frustration. As her hands gently pulled his away from her waist she turned around slowly and looked up at him, his dark eyes reflecting the feeling within her.

Instead of giving in to the obvious, Calleigh pulled another evasion tactic and turned on the charm.

"I'll stay if you find something to entertain me," she said with a smile, her caffeine high still ever present. "Ryan told me you got a new toy."

Eric knew where she was headed. Ryan and his big mouth.

"No, not a toy. And it's not mine. It's Mateo's. I'm watching his puppy while he's on vacation."

Calleigh walked toward his garage and opened the door, where a 5-month old gray Weimaraner puppy was busy breaking in his new teeth.

"I heard his name was Atticus. Does Mateo have a love of _To Kill a Mockingbird_?" she asked as she bent down and began petting the vivacious creature.

"Yes, he's a sophomore English teacher. It's his favorite book," replied Eric as he watched the dog become immediately enamored of the woman petting him. Did she bathe in love potion or something?

"English teacher?" replied Calleigh as she got down further so the dog could climb into her lap. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"Few have," said Eric as he watched her play with Atticus. "You can bring him in. I just left him out here because all of his stuff is in my garage."

"Where'd he go?"

"Who?"

"Mateo. You said he was on vacation."

"Right. I uh… An island south of the keys."

"You're kidding me. That's illegal Eric!" scolded Calleigh as she looked up at him in surprise.

"Our abuelo is very sick, and Mat's the only one who could get over," said Eric as he disregarded her issues with legality.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Heart disease and liver cancer. Both of which run rampant on my mother's side."

She looked down as Atticus jumped up on her chest, licking her neck. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I've only met him once and it was over fifteen years ago."

She nodded and continued to pet Atticus, quickly feeling the her caffeine high leave her. Eric reached out and rubbed Atticus' face with his hands, the puppy licking off pineapple traces on his fingers.

"Yum, puppy slobber," said Eric as he stood up, with Calleigh clearly not wanting to leave the dog. "Bring him in, if you want," said Eric as he pushed open his garage door again, allowing Calleigh to carry the puppy through in her arms.

"I didn't think you were much of an animal person," said Eric as he washed his hands, looking over his shoulder at Calleigh and Atticus.

"Well, if they're this cute it doesn't matter. I've never been really good at keeping things alive. I had a pet rock when I was growing up for a reason."

"I thought you had a hound dog."

"Buford? He was my dad's dog. Good Lord he was so hard headed. He'd wait for my dad to come home from work everyday, sitting like a lump of clay in the front yard. If it was 115 degrees, he'd sit there. If there was a hurricane, he'd still wait. If we were mowing the grass, we'd have to go around him."

"You can't buy that kind of loyalty," said Eric as they walked over to his sofa, Calleigh curling up in the corner with her new friend.

"Yeah well, Buford was as dumb as he was loyal."

"What happened to him?"

"He drowned in the lake behind our house."

"Couldn't swim?"

"Not by that point. He was too old to be swimming and of course, he was following my dad, so there was no stopping him."

"Brilliant," said Eric with a chuckle.

"Oh he was the definition of brilliant, that's for sure," she said as she leaned the side of her head against the couch looking back over at him with a grin.

And then their gaze held for much longer than it should have, tension building by the second. It was weird how it happened. One moment everything was normal, the next, each found themselves caught in this rapturous moment where they were unable to breakaway.

"Ow!" exclaimed Calleigh, her ring finger falling victim to a chomp from Atticus. "Apparently, you don't understand that people fingers aren't used as chew toys," she said as she looked down at him, breaking the eye contact with Eric.

He watched her for a moment longer and let out a soft sigh. If he could glue her to his couch in that very position for the rest of their lives, he would be a happy man. Instead of hunting for the superglue, he got up and headed towards the kitchen.

"Want something to drink?"

"What do you have?"

"I can make some tea, water, Gatorade, beer, orange juice…"

"Hot tea?"

"Comin' up. You want caffeine free, right?"

"Oh save it, Delko."

He heard her laughter from the other room as she and Atticus had an intellectually superior conversation about the merits of cleaning his paws. Being angry at her wasn't really an option for him. It never had been. He only wished she would let him in. If he could get her to open up a part of herself to him, then maybe he could manage to get the rest of her.

In the three minutes it took to boil the tea and let it seep, Calleigh had fallen asleep on his couch. Looking at the clock and seeing it was only eight thirty, he sighed at the image before him. Atticus had played himself to death and was rolled up in her lap, paw placed ever so casually in no-mans land and his head resting in the small valley between her breasts. Calleigh's head once again was resting against the overstuffed pillows on his couch, tucked away like a secret.

Eric couldn't decide if he should wake her up or let her sleep it off. It's not like she'd stay the whole night or anything. This was Calleigh he was talking about. She must have some internal clock that went off once she's exceeded her allotted time for visitation. Naptime it was going to be.

He turned the light out above her head and walked to the opposite corner of the living room and plopped down in his large leather loveseat, picking a journal off the settee in front of him and continuing to read about preservation techniques for underwater recovery.

Reading that journal had never been so difficult for him. Every couple of minutes his eyes would stray over Calleigh, unable to take them away. She looked exhausted and sad. The bags under her eyes did nothing to belie her beauty, but they were still there, as were traces of a frown. It took every ounce of will power he had not to move over to the couch and sit at the opposite end, pull her feet into his lap and rub his hands over her tired legs.

In realizing that reading was a futile pursuit, he decided to go clean his bedroom. Which was sad, because it was already tidy. He dusted and polished the dark cherry wood, he cleaned his windows and mirrors. He reorganized his closet in a way that would make Ryan proud. Walking into his bathroom, he decided to scrub the shower from head to toe, cleaning the stripped frosted glass and scrubbing the grout and the dark blue tiles until they shone.

As he cleaned his mind wandered a bit. When he dove into the water two nights ago, he hadn't given it a second thought. More than anything, it had been a reflex. There was a person who needed help and he was naturally predisposed to helping. He hadn't been a life-guard during the summers of high school for nothing. Who cared that they were floating at the onslaught of a tropical storm? Was it really that big a deal that he simply jumped over without a second to think about what was really going on?

In retrospect, he realized it had been a rash decision and that it could have been regarded as reckless, but in all honesty, he'd never intended for it to be such a big deal. Horatio had certainly made it clear that it was in fact, a big deal. Still, Eric would have done it again in a heart beat, whether it had been Calleigh or some 80-year old grandpa. He might have hesitated for Stetler though.

Of course Calleigh thought it was all about her, she tended to do that when it came to infringing upon her abilities as a CSI. However, at that point in time, she was either going to drown, or she was going to live and continue doing what she did best. And naturally he wanted the later result, just like everyone else on the rescue boat.

By the time eleven rolled around, Eric was beat. For a good ten minutes he'd even forgotten that Calleigh was passed out on his couch. Of course, that didn't last long, and he gave in to curiosity to see if she was still conscious. Her head was buried between the pillow and the couch. He almost wanted to pull her away from her position if it weren't for the slow rise and fall of her shoulders. If she wasn't awake now, was she going to wake up at all?

He hadn't actually considered the idea of her not waking up. It was Calleigh. Politeness and propriety were probably tattooed to her butt. Calleigh didn't just fall asleep unless she had intended to or she was beyond the point of exhaustion. Being the intelligent individual that he was, he deduced the latter as being the reason.

Should he let her stay on the couch or should he move her to his bed? She could roll over in her sleep and fall off the couch if he let her stay there. Of course, she could also wake up if he tried to relocate her.

Hmmm. Conundrum indeed.

Eric went to his bedroom and changed into some pajamas, ones appropriate for having guests over. He then turned down the bed, making it easy to plop her down and run if she woke up during the transition and decided to elbow him in his fun parts.

Walking back into the living room he picked up the snoring puppy, which Mateo was going to love having his own little sound machine, and put Atticus in the kennel in his garage. The dog barely opened his eyes the whole time. If it worked that well for Atticus, then it couldn't be much harder to move Calleigh. Eric walked back to the couch and frowned.

He was seriously afraid. Ryan told him about the one time he'd found Calleigh napping in the Hummer after she came to work despite having a 102 degree fever and almost passed out on scene. Ryan walked over to the passenger door where the window was down and poked his head in to check on her. Next thing he knew, he felt the muzzle of her gun pointed at his head and a very scary Calleigh eyeing him suspiciously. Ryan almost thought he'd peed his pants a little just then. Eric always laughed at that story, but now, faced with the reality, he wasn't so sure.

"To hell with it," he murmured to himself and bent down, carefully sliding his right arm beneath her knees and his left arm behind her back. Still not showing any signs of waking, his legs pushed him upwards and he rose up, holding a dead to the world Calleigh. This was truly a rare occurrence. Eric almost wanted to prank her just then. Maybe draw a mustache on her face.

His maturity knew no bounds.

Letting out a slow breath that he hadn't realized he'd been keeping, Eric carefully made his way towards his bedroom. If she woke up when he was putting her in his bed, he knew she'd kill him, simply based off the insinuation of the gesture. Eric Delko was trying to bed Calleigh. Of course she'd shoot him. Dear God, why did she have to be the object of his affections? Why couldn't he like a kindergarten teacher?

Finally reaching his bed, he gingerly placed her down, slipping her legs beneath the covers and pulling them up over her. Once he reached her chin, he figured she was covered sufficiently. He then took his pillows and put them all around her, ensuring that she wouldn't roll one way or the other and fall out. What was with his preoccupation of falling out of bed?

Ah college and drunken nights. That's right. Apparently bunk beds and alcohol don't mix. Lesson learned kids. If you see two ladders where there should be one, best just to sleep it off on the ground.

Where was he? Right. Calleigh. In his bed. Without him. Most unfortunate night of his life. He wasn't stupid though. He'd never dream of actually trying to climb in there and hope to come out alive. Not right now at least. Not after yesterday.

Watching Calleigh sleep for a moment longer, Eric brushed some of her hair off her face and bent down, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Just then Calleigh sighed deeply, causing him to remain in place, because hovering above Calleigh was _definitely_ the best option.

Eric backtracked carefully all the way to his bathroom and shut the door quietly. As he washed his face and brushed his teeth, he thought about her sigh, and the way she almost turned up for it. Just thinking about it gave him chills. How could one person affect him so deeply?

If she only knew how much he cared for her, perhaps she'd relent a little.

O-O-O-O-O

_Air. She needed air. She needed warmth. She couldn't think, her mind was shutting itself down. _

_She surfaced again and her lungs expanded rapidly for that brief intake of air, her legs kicking desperately to keep her afloat. But once again she was submerged, whipped about by the thrashing of the waves. She could almost feel her wrist detaching itself from the rest of her body. She wanted it to, in a way, simply to free her from this endless death parade._

_Death._

_Was she ready for it? Could she really have that be her last breath? Her mind was getting foggy again and it was becoming increasingly difficult to process her thoughts. She'd only been called weak a few times in her life, and now, she thought, would definitely be one of those times. So tired. She just wanted to let go. To let the water take her away._

_Blackness. _

_Quiet._

_Better_.

O-O-O

Gasping for air, Calleigh shot up in bed, covered head to toe in sweat. She took in large gulps of air, trying to satisfy an insatiable thirst. Flopping backwards, she lay there a moment longer, trying to calm her breathing and stop the room from spinning.

Tears. There were actual tears falling from her eyes. She'd been crying silently, the sort of crying one's subconscious does when it has been repressed for far too long. She traced the salty liquid from her eyes to her cheeks and pulled back to look at her fingers, examining it as though it were a foreign substance.

Crying was not foreign to her, but she'd found growing up that people tended to react badly to tears or ask questions she didn't want to answer. Keeping it in tended to work in her favor most of the time. And every once in a while, in some far secluded place, she had a good, hard cry.

Refocusing her eyes, it was then that she realized there was a ceiling fan above her, dark wooden blades rotating at a moderate pace. She stared at them for a moment in confusion. Sudden realization struck her as she bolted upright in bed again, her eyes sweeping her surroundings in mild shock.

She'd fallen asleep at Eric's house. She did NOT recall falling asleep in his bed, however. Looking next to her, she found she was the only one there; her body was firmly situated in the middle of the bed and surrounded by pillows. Rays of sunlight were peaking through the cracks in the blinds, creating a striped pattern on the dark grey suede comforter. Rubbing her fingers against the grain of the fabric, she made a tic-tac-toe pattern as her mind seemingly dumped itself of all useless information.

After watching the stripped pattern migrate across the comforter for a bit, she realized that she'd been sitting in Eric's bedroom for quite a while. The clock at his bedside read 8:06. Hardly fazed by the substantial amount of sleep she'd received, she let her gaze roam around the room, taking in Eric's private domain.

It was masculine, but not overtly so. She wondered if one of his sisters helped him pick out the furniture. Perhaps there were traces of Marisol throughout the room. There was a stack of books beside his night stand, fiction and non-fiction alike. It surprised her a bit; she never pegged Eric for much of a reader. His dresser was decorated with silver frames of varying sizes, filled with pictures of his sisters, parents, nieces and nephews. One in particular stood out. It was of a little girl, all ringlets and smiles with her tiny delicate hands placed on Eric's puffed out cheeks as he held her in the air above him. The picture forever ruined his player-like image in her mind.

Sounds from what she believed to be his bathroom drew her attention. She couldn't imagine a more awkward (andfreakingfantastic!) situation if he came out of there in a towel. In an attempt to avoid the inevitable awkwardness, she flopped backwards onto the bed and buried herself in the myriad of pillows just as the door opened.

"Ha. Nice try. I saw your not-so-subtle back flop."

"Well, I was afraid you'd be coming out in a towel, or something," she finished lamely as he exited his bathroom, not in a towel, but only wearing khaki cargo shorts.

"You were afraid of that?" he said as he walked over to a dresser and pulled out a t-shirt, which he promptly put on. "There. I hope my biceps didn't frighten you too much. They have been known to instill fear in the hearts of men."

"Oh please," she said as she sat up, watching him walk back to his bathroom where steam was wafting out. "Goodness, how long did you spend in there?"

"I needed a facial and a steam treatment," he said from the doorway. "Actually, while you were sleeping in MY bed, I went for a run, solved world hunger, ended the war on terror and bought more pineapple."

"My, my. One wonders how you sleep at night, what with your humility and sense of self-deprecation," she said while dodging a pillow that he launched at her head. As she fell back on the pillows again she found the urge to go to sleep once again, almost wishing she were home so she could sleep the day away.

"Woah, no-no. You can't go back to sleep again," he said as he approached her sleep laden form. He climbed on the bed and popped her lightly in the face with a pillow. She retaliated in kind and a battle ensued, leaving them in a heap of pillows and comforter, skewed diagonally on the bed.

Eric began chuckling to himself at the sight, causing Calleigh to look over at him curiously.

"What?"

"It's nothing"

At Calleigh's supposedly intimidating stare, Eric rolled his eyes and smiled at her weakly.

"It's just that, if anyone had said last week that you'd have slept at my house, in my bed, and was going to lay beside me on it the following morning, I would have gotten them a psych consult."

Just as predicted, Calleigh became mildly indignant and swung her legs over the edge of the bed in an act to get off. Eric sighed audibly, and leaned over far enough to still her movements by placing a hand on her elbow.

"Lay back down. I wouldn't have told you if I thought you were going to leave. It's not like I have ulterior motives here Cal, I just wanted to hang out with my _friend_."

"Who so happened to be in your bed."

"You picked the location, not me."

Somewhere between his innocent gesture and kind smile, their physical proximity became overwhelming. Before she could move away, he reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down beside him. Eric could see her internal debate and surrender as she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan above them. Calleigh pulled her legs up on the bed, folding them a bit in order to get more comfortable.

"Do you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"Are we still friends?"

"Well, I gave you my bed instead of making you sleep on the couch. I'll let you figure that out by yourself."

And that was all they needed to clear up the mess they'd made Wednesday evening. He could see her smile out of the corner of his eye and it warmed his heart. They lay there in silence for a while longer, both lost in their thoughts. Some thoughts were eerily similar, others, completely opposite.

"Have you ever had ice cream for breakfast?" asked Calleigh randomly as she kept her eyes on the ceiling.

"Yeah, I once dated this woman from Denmark. She made Belgian waffles with vanilla ice cream on top for breakfast on my birthday."

Calleigh smiled despite herself. The thought of another woman being with him in the morning wasn't new to her. But the growing pang of jealousy was.

"Let me guess… A model?"

"No actually," said Eric with a smirk. "Oh yea of little faith, she was a rep for a shipping company."

"Oh," said Calleigh, put off by not guessing correctly. "Was it good?"

"What?" Eric wasn't sure what she was asking about. He hoped she wasn't referring to the sex. That could get awkward. They would never be those _kind_ of friends.

"The breakfast, Eric! The breakfast," admonished Calleigh as she shook her head.

"Of course it was good. Combining two of the best things in the world? How could it not."

"Do you have ice cream?"

"I don't know if it's vanilla."

"Does it matter?" she hopped off the bed, clearly onto a new task. She stood before him and grabbed his hands, attempting to pull him upwards. He wasn't budging. "Eric. I'll eat without you," she said it threateningly, but he knew otherwise. No way could she be that deliberately rude. It wasn't in her.

He finally let her get a firm grip and rose slightly, but he was having too much fun being stubborn. Becoming dead weight once again, he fell back against his mattress, this time he didn't let go of Calleigh's hands. She inevitably fell forward, on top of him, with her arms braced to the sides of his abdomen, hands still clasped with his.

"Well hello there," said Eric with a suggestive eyebrow waggle and a smirk.

"Oh, honestly," said Calleigh as she pushed herself back up, hoping the situation would diffuse itself. She opted not to assist him this time and walked towards his kitchen, pulling his waffle iron out of a cabinet after doing a little searching. Once she compiled the proper ingredients, she heated up the iron and watched as Eric padded softly into the kitchen, inhaling deeply.

"Yes, I'd like eggs, bacon, two biscuits and a waffle on the side please," he said with a smile as he pulled out some cranberry juice and the ice cream and placed them on the counter.

"I'm sorry," said Calleigh as she looked at him with a mock glare, "were you talking to me? It's now clear why the Danish girl isn't still here, making you breakfast."

"Oh that wasn't the reason," said Eric as he set the table with its proper accoutrements. "She had to go back to Denmark. Otherwise, I'd probably have little Erics running all over the place."

"Like there probably aren't already," she said with a knowing grin.

"Ouch, low blow," he said as he set the plates on the table, laying the silverware on the sides.

It struck him then how domestic the scene was. She was making them breakfast and he was setting the table. Her hair was in a careless ponytail he was freshly showered from his run. Never had they been more nonchalant with each other. Why couldn't they just take that extra step? Why couldn't this be their morning everyday? Calleigh was oblivious to his musings as she carefully lifted the lid to the waffle iron, ensuring the waffle wasn't stuck to the top.

"Hot, hot, hot," she yelped as she placed the steaming waffle on a plate to stay warm in the oven. Pouring in batter for another waffle, Calleigh sucked on her thumb and index finger as though she could draw out the pain. Eric swallowed at the sight and turned around, hoping to distract himself. This whole week had been backwards; why not top it off with an embarrassing display of attraction?

Conversation over breakfast was light and casual, for some odd reason they were able to avoid all awkward subjects, reminding each other of why they liked each other's company to begin with. She listed why the Bourne Ultimatum was going to be better than the last; he described the inner workings of his fantasy baseball team he co-owned with Mateo.

They cleaned the dishes without even pausing to analyze the easy rhythm they fell in, her washing and him drying. It was almost like being at work. After putting the dishes away he told her Atticus needed to for a walk and she offered to take him, if only because he was quite possibly the cutest thing alive.

As they walked along the beach, they said little more than random observations and distracted comments. It appeared that companionable silence was eluding them in the stark light of day. Calleigh frowned at the thought. She couldn't stand being this way with Eric if they were constantly going to be semi-awkward with each other. Breakfast had been so easy, but now, in the harsh light of the sun, their ease and camaraderie faded away and their moments were stilted at times.

Eric felt Calleigh's growing tension and pursed his lips, wishing he could fill in the gaps with casual banter, but he didn't know how to broach the real question at hand: why was she here? The issue remained that she was not facing the situation, that she wasn't really processing everything that had happened at the beginning of the week. It would cause her serious harm later on if she didn't start to break things down for herself. He knew this as much as she did.

He was about to say something when Atticus fell in a hole left behind from an ambitious three year old. They laughed at the sight and watched as he climbed out, sand matted to his fine fur. And then Eric looked down and her hand was in his, as though it were sneaking in for a surprise attack. He smiled at the sight of her light skinned fingers intertwined with his, merely adding to his not quite so far fetched delusions. She held so much more than his hand in hers at that moment. He only hoped she realized what a prized possession she could lay claim to as her own.

Despite his musings, he also had the bitter realization that she was there, had been there the whole time, not because he was Eric Delko, sexy co-worker. She was there because she had no where else to turn. He wasn't sure if he liked being the last resort for her; the one she came to in order to avoid her problems.

"Are you going to see the counselor?" he asked, not beating around the bush.

"Required to have three visits before next Friday. My first is tomorrow afternoon."

He nodded and watched Atticus as he jumped about playfully. She was being so blasé, so disassociated about it. Did she actually realize what happened to her?

"Calleigh?' he stopped walking in order to get her to look at him. "Do you… I mean, has this hit you yet? Everything that happened?"

She looked him in the eyes, shielding her own from the sun as she pulled her hand back from his grasp. All connection was severed in that moment.

"Yes, I'm not avoiding it or anything. I just needed to get out of my house."

"Okay. It's just…" he hesitated, searching for the words. "You're acting like nothing happened."

Oh, no good. He could see the iron curtain close down right between them. She was already irritated and defensive.

"What do you want me to do, Eric? Cry uncontrollably and act affected?" she'd raised her voice and it was hard. Cold and hard. "I don't do that. I never have."

"I want you to have a heart, Calleigh. I want you to show emotion. I want you to be bothered by the fact that Will blew his head off, that you were kidnapped, that you almost drowned."

She shook her head as he said this, like her actions were enough to refute all he said. Atticus, oblivious his two walkers, ran circles about them, getting himself tangled in the leash. Calleigh crossed her arms and looked down at Atticus, her lips formed into a thin line. Eric wasn't sure what to do. Should he keep going or should he just let her be?

"That's not fair and you know it," she said fiercely as she looked him in the eyes. "You, more than anyone, should know that people have different ways of handling things. Not everyone is conventional about it."

She looked away again and appeared to be choosing her words carefully. When she looked up at him again, he started to regret his words. She was a little pale and he could see the rawness of her feelings in her eyes, of all she was trying to suppress. Why did she have to be so strong all the time? Why couldn't she just break down every once in a while, like everyone else?

She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself, looking to the side again as she swallowed and took a deep breath, tucking wayward windblown strands of hair behind her ear. Her composure regained, she started again, but not without a very fine sheen of tears in her eyes.

"I see him every time I close my eyes," her voice was quiet and careful so it wouldn't break as she spoke. "I think about what happened every time I sit still. Sometimes," she paused again and took in another breath while he stifled the urge to place a caring hand on her arm. "Sometimes, I see John in Will's place and I think I've never gotten over anything even though it's been two years... Will went through so much…" she struggled with the words, her mind going blank, "so much pain and loss. That's all he wanted, was for me to understand that, to understand that he wasn't out there to do horrible things to people. He just wanted to leave a lasting impression that wasn't negative."

She stopped for a bit and turned her head again, watching as some young bikini-clad women laid their towels out, prepared for a day of sun-bathing. The reality of the situation was that she was feeling too much. So much in fact that she couldn't process everything she felt. It was like her mind was ready to shut down from exhaustion.

Arms encircled her and she found herself deep in Eric's embrace. At first she didn't know what to do, wasn't prepared for it. Slowly her arms wrapped around his torso, her head buried in his chest. She could hear his heart beat, strong and rhythmic, like a metronome. He placed his chin on her head and found that without heels, she fit perfectly. That did not surprise him one bit. Hugs could say so much more than words sometimes. That's what he loved about physical contact.

Countless moments later, they stepped apart, but not far, seeing as Atticus effectively bound them together during his playtime. As they laughed at Atticus' goofy behavior, Eric unwrapped the leash and they separated. Not far from his house they continued on in silence, not tense, just quiet.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" he asked as he shut his door behind them.

"I uh, I'm going with Mark to help him pick out Will's casket."

Eric did a double take as he saw her grab two glasses out of his cabinet, filling them with water. Not the response he was anticipating.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?"

"Within the span of a week, three of his siblings have died. And I was present when two of them passed away. Shopping with him for a glorified box is the least I can do."

"So he got off pretty easy?"

"Yeah, they dropped the charges for the weapon possession. Otherwise, he was completely innocent anyway. What are you doing today, anyway? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I took the day off. It's my mom's birthday and we're having a huge party tonight. I'm in charge of Blinchiki with Tvorog and this chocolate belini."

"Russian food for a Cuban woman. Of course."

"How else do you think my dad won her over?"

"His charm and good looks?"

"Ha, hardly. He was the shy, bookish type. She was gorgeous and outgoing. I have no idea how the two mixed."

"Sounds like the stuff movies are made from," she said with a smile.

"Something like that," he agreed as he started writing a grocery list on the tablet in front of him. "You should come."

"What?"

"Tonight. You should come. Get your mind off of things," how had his skills degraded so badly? He used to mock guys this unsmooth. Now he could be their president. He tried to gauge her reaction but she was a brick wall. Nope, no good.

"Are you serious? Eric, it's a family get together. No way."

"There will be tons of people there not related to us. You should come. It's not like there will be a shortage of food or anything."

"I don't think so," she said ambivalently, clearly unsure about the invite. Somewhere in the middle of their conversation she'd gotten her purse and looked ready to bolt. Especially now that he'd impulsively invited her to his parents, which was pure genius on his part.

"Fine, you change your mind, give me a call."

He followed her outside with his grocery list, pushing the unlock button on his car as she stopped in front of him to say her goodbye.

"Thanks, for… everything, I appreciate it," she said quietly, much like the way she'd arrived.

"Well, I appreciate you for appreciating me," he shot back with a little smirk. She caught his meaning and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder, rolling her eyes as she opened her door and sat in her crossfire. As she prepared to close her door, a thought popped into his head.

"Hey Calleigh?"

"Yeah?"

"If uh, if you have problems sleeping again, there's a spare key tied to my hammock out back. It'll get you in the back door," he lost his courage and stopped as she took in his words, offering him a kind smile.

"Thank you. I should be fine though. That was enough sleep for about three days. Have a great time at the party, my best to your mom and your family," she said with a wave and backed out of his driveway.

As she drove away, she glanced in her mirror and saw him standing next to his car, watching as her tail lights became a distant blur. She didn't feel fixed or anything, or even better for that matter. But at least she'd gotten a night of sleep and some quality time with Eric. Okay, she admitted, maybe she felt a little better.

Still, she had other things to consider. Mark. Charlie. Work. Life. At this point, all she could do was take each as it came, and right now, she knew there was a young man dealing with a world of pain and no where to go. Her problems would get taken care of in due time. For the time being, she would let herself take the backseat and focus her attentions elsewhere.

Like she said earlier, everyone has their own way of handling things.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: I bet you're all wishing she'd go to that party and have all those fanfictastic shippy scenes with his family. But, that would be too easy and even though this story is somewhat far-fetched (well, maybe not all that outlandish, considering this is csi Miami) I don't see Calleigh going to an event like that with Eric. Not in her MO. Alright, I'm off for a while, check back in a week.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 13:16

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Cyberlebrity

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Stella is mine. As are the jalapeno fries. They rock if you like spicy.

A/N: I'm back. I sincerely apologize for the wait. I lost my momentum with it and I started working two jobs. I do have a plan; this will have three more parts and an epilogue. I thank you all for reading.

O-O-O-O-O

It had been three weeks since the case wrapped up and a groove of sorts had been resumed. Only after a few days, Dominic Johnson had retracted his threat to sue the Lab. Calleigh hoped it had to do with him actually realizing how much his family meant to him, something that Will had wanted all along. She thought about Will often, something she tried to never let herself do with her other cases. Getting attached was something she'd been warned against since the beginning of her training, and she'd avoided it at all costs.

_A lot of good that did_, she thought to herself as she dropped the day's drudgery down on her kitchen table. Somehow or another she'd managed to become enraptured with the Redding family. Not only was she well on her way to getting Charlie's sentence reduced, but she'd become a surrogate sister of sorts to Mark. She'd driven him to the airport when he had to return to his post overseas and she felt actual sadness when he left. He was a great kid and she had high hopes for him. It was all rather uncharacteristic and bizarre, but her life had been tumultuous lately, why not continue the pattern?

She turned on the stove to heat up a kettle of water for some tea. As she reached into her cabinet to pull down a mug, she felt the familiar twinge that now accompanied several of her movements due to her newfound neurovascular issues from her wrist injuries. For the most part, she considered everything to be in the past, filed away and sorted out. Well, kind of.

There were a few loose strings, so to speak.

For example, all of her cases from the past three years were now being reviewed due to the new circumstantial evidence proving Charlie's innocence in 5 of the 6 shootings. Nothing like a lack of support from the lab to make an investigator feel secure. That was _awesome_. What about Ryan, who was about to have his birthday, pushing his party back a few weeks due to some shady 'family problems'? Or maybe it was how Horatio still wasn't 100 percent, something no one spoke about, but all acknowledged. Or maybe it was the more time she spent with Jake, which was considerable, the less time she spent with Eric.

It hadn't been intentional, of course, but the day before, it dawned on her that she hadn't had an actual conversation with Eric in nearly two weeks, which happened to coincide with her and Jake taking their relationship to the next level. This thought struck her when she found out from Dan of all people that Eric was going to be an uncle. Again. For the seventh time.

Although wonderful news, she was distraught that Eric hadn't been the one to tell her. He'd been there for her that night she fell asleep at his place. But she'd definitely noticed a change in him over the past few weeks. He'd become more reserved, at least when he was around her. That didn't take away from his abilities at all, however. He'd just closed his 12th case that month, which brought him ahead of her by three cases. This occurred occasionally, but never so early in the month. They typically tended to be on par with one another at month's end, so it was never an issue overall.

Taking her cup of tea she walked over to her overstuffed lounge chair and grabbed the newspaper, scanning its contents as her mind strayed over various unrelated things.

Calleigh didn't want to address the issue with anyone, because if she was the only one he was being distant with, then it would be around the lab in nanoseconds that she and Eric hated each other or something equally ridiculous. She couldn't stomach being under the microscope any more than she had been lately, so she figured she'd have to speak with him the following day.

Just as she finished her cup, Jake called, saying he'd pick her up in thirty minutes. They were going out to dinner by the beach that night, meeting with some mutual friends they'd managed to maintain over the years. She was actually looking forward to a night out; lately there had been so many quiet evenings at home with Jake that it all began to run together.

Since they'd be outside she figured she'd shed her work clothes and get into something a bit more appropriate for a nice night out on the town. She figured anything she wore would be fine, because Jake had this way of making her feel sexy no matter what. Despite what people thought about him, he saved the better part of himself for when he was with her.

And she liked that. She liked him. There wasn't anything anybody could do about it.

O-O-O

Eric laughed as he took a sip of his wine, smiling at his companion. Across from him sat an old family friend, especially of his sisters. Her name was Stella Velsistas and she was absolutely stunning. Good wine, good company and a good night. What could be better?

It was a chance meal at a beautiful location, near the beach with a latin-infused jazz band providing just the right touch to the atmosphere. The restaurant was more of a local hang out, free from the trudge and grind of tourists. It was a favorite of his and Stella's, a place where their families used to join each other for a weekend meal during their youth.

He'd known Stella for nearly 20 years, since she and Marisol used to dance together at a local company when they were younger. Her Greek heritage lent her flawless olive colored skin, bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. To top it off, she was one of the most intelligent people he'd ever met, earning a degree in biochemistry from Stanford, and she was completing her doctorate from M.I.T. at the end of the summer.

"You are so hopeless," said Eric with another laugh, envisioning his friend standing knee-high in snow.

"Oh you have no idea. When my roommate handed me her snow boots just to walk to class, I was baffled. I mean, why on earth would I need special shoes for a five minute walk? I was so clueless. I swear, six years in Cambridge is pushing the limits for me. If I never see snow again I won't be sorry."

"When is your time up?"

"I defend in a few weeks, but if I choose to walk, I can do so in August."

"Few weeks? I bet you have the date tattooed to your brain."

"10 a.m. June 24th"

"That's what I thought," he smiled at her as he took another sip of his red wine, swirling it about in his mouth before swallowing.

"So tell me, what have you been up to lately? Your sister hasn't mentioned any new women in your life. Can it be that you're finally settling down and growing up?"

"Ha ha. Doubtful. It's just been a crazy few months. I'm trying to get my head on straight before I get back out there."

"Really?" she had her head cocked to the side and was looking at him in a way that showed she was ready to call his bluff.

"Maybe," Eric paused, searching for the words. "Maybe I know what I want and I just can't make it work."

"She's married?" Stella's mind immediately jumped to the typical conclusion. One that his oldest sister had deduced the previous weekend at their family dinner. He never did anything to dissuade her because she typically drew conclusions based on insubstantial evidence and it was a waste to prove otherwise.

"No, no. Just… unavailable." Physically, mentally, emotionally. Just plain unavailable.

"Well, you're in your prime Eric, I wouldn't wait too long. I bet there's a sign-up list out there somewhere with a whole slew of ladies waiting to dangle from your arm," she joked consolingly.

"Right. What about you? Getting back out there or is it still too soon?"

Stella was engaged to another doctoral candidate working in her lab. Two weeks before the wedding she discovered he'd been falsifying data to improve the results of one of the drugs they were studying. He did not handle the matter well when she confronted him, and later she discovered that falsifying data was only the tip of the iceberg. He'd been sleeping with their advisor and had an incredibly illegal deal with a pharmaceutical company arranged after receiving his doctorate. Needless to say, she called off the wedding and had not dated anyone since.

She gave him a grim smile and shook her head, taking a long sip of her wine.

"Let's just say that you may be a grandfather before I even look at another man."

"Ouch that's rough," he laughed at her bitter words, but could feel the misery she radiated and he hurt for her.

As their conversation continued, a flash of unmistakable blonde hair in his periphery caught his attention. Of all the people to see tonight, it had to be Calleigh, trailed by her leech of a boyfriend, swaggering like he owned the place. He wasn't swaggering exactly, but Eric pretended he was. Eric's eyes followed Calleigh's form once more and he appreciated seeing her in non-work attire, a dark camisole and tight dark pants accentuating her figure. He watched as she greeted a young woman sitting at a table with two other men and another woman. Calleigh gave hugs and kisses on the cheek freely, laughing at some off-hand comment one of the men made.

Sitting across the restaurant and far out of ear reach, he knew he'd catch none of the conversation, especially with the band providing interference. However he had a perfect side view of Calleigh sitting at the table with Jake to her left, leaning back in his chair and emitting his devil-may care attitude that Eric so loathed. He'd been particularly curious to know how they interacted outside of work, for they remained mostly professional whenever anyone was around, Calleigh's doing, he imagined.

"And then I set your house on fire and jumped off the building," said Stella as she made the keen observation that Eric was ten miles away. "Yo. ERIC!?"

"Sorry. Sorry, I was thinking about something," Eric replied ruefully.

"Did _something_ just arrive?" Calleigh was sitting seven o'clock to Stella, regardless, Stella was perceptive and that was no good for Eric.

"Ahhh, no! No, it's just that what we were talking about got me thinking about a case," he was drowning in a pool of his own _merde._

"And what were we talking about exactly?"

"The likelihood of you working for the NIH or you heading back out to California."

"Impressive. You learned that growing up didn't you?"

"What?"

"This whole semi-listen while thinking about something completely different skill?"

"Totally. Mastered that by fourteen," Eric could shoot quips with her back and forth all night like it was a tennis match.

Their food arrived and thankfully she became distracted by the replacement of the restaurant's trademark jalapeno fries with a bland disappointment. He was convinced she had undiagnosed ADHD, but never said anything about it because her being a scatterbrain was part of what was so loveable and unexpected about her. She'd call him at two in the morning and bring up something they spoke about months ago, just to finish her train of thought.

As they ate, he tried desperately not to let his eyes stray over to Calleigh's table, but it was futile. Little things drew his attention, like when she laughed with her friends or the way she placed her hand on Jake's as it rested on her knee, like it was natural and his hand belonged there. Eric had to look away when that happened. He couldn't figure out what it was that bothered him so much about Calleigh dating someone else. Was it because it was Jake or was it just because she wasn't dating him?

Either way, he chose to avoid the situation entirely by minimizing time spent with her. Lately he couldn't stand to be around her, knowing that when she left work, she was going home to him. Eric became incensed every time he thought about it. Why was she being so stupid? He knew she couldn't be in this for a long term relationship, so why was she wasting her time? Hopefully, once she got Jake out of her system maybe he'd be able to stomach being around her again. In the meantime, he'd avoid her and busy himself with mindless dates and work. Or he'd just give up, because right now, he wasn't sure if he could handle much more.

It was Calleigh crossing the restaurant and heading straight towards him that made his heart quicken its pace. It hadn't occurred to him that she had to pass his table to get to the restroom, but he was suddenly wishing he could hide. It was one of those awkward situations where if she did see him, she'd say hi and see him with Stella and then she'd grill him later. Or, she'd be completely oblivious and walk right on by. He prayed for the latter.

His prayer went unanswered.

"Hey stranger," said Calleigh as her eyes landed on him as she slowed her approach once reaching his table. She looked beautiful. Eyes light, cheeks slightly flushed, hair a little windblown. His heart tightened at her words. Her gaze then fell on Stella and she remained amazingly passive, thousand watt smile plastered to her features.

"Hey, what's up?" he replied coolly. What he thought was cool. Stella's head was bowed but he could see her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He never wanted to smack someone so hard in his life.

"Not much. Jake and I were just meeting some friends for dinner," she said as she motioned in the direction of her table which she realized she could see clearly from where Eric was sitting. She looked at him expectantly and he realized he hadn't introduced Stella yet.

"Sounds nice. Right, yeah Calleigh this is Stella, Stella, this is Calleigh. She works at the lab with me."

Ever the polite southerner, Calleigh extended her hand and shook Stella's, who'd composed herself quickly and gracefully.

"Nice to meet you Calleigh, I believe we were just talking about you," a well aimed kick and she shut up. Gorgeous or not, she was as devious as his sisters and for that she would pay.

"Really?" Calleigh shot him a look that said, 'we're talking later' and he knew the rest of his life was ruined. "Good things I hope?"

"Oh no, they were great things," said Stella warmly. "It's nice to put a face with a story, that's all."

She was being honest, he'd told a story involving various people he worked with, but just like word vomit, Calleigh's name inevitably kept popping up. He hoped Stella didn't notice, but once again, her brilliant mind was quick on the uptake.

"Okay, that's mildly comforting, I guess. Well I'll let you two continue your meal," she said with a sincere smile. She took a few steps then turned and said, "Oh and please don't forget to give me your report tomorrow morning before I have that meeting with Elliot."

"No prob. It's done, just have to print it out," he replied. Stella watched how he reacted, and she smiled to herself. She wanted to give him a 'I heart Calleigh' t-shirt. Was this woman blind? How could she not see how he felt?

"Wonderful. It was nice meeting you, Stella, y'all have a nice night," and she was gone.

He didn't even bother looking up at Stella. He already knew what look would be on her face and he just wanted to leave. It was like he was 13 again and she was finding out he had a crush on her and she made him feel like an idiot for it. Luckily, he stopped liking Stella a long, long time ago. And now, he was left with that snickering know-it-all sitting across from him.

"Say it so I can continue eating my dessert in peace," he said like a forlorn teenager.

"Your mother would love her," said Stella with a grin. "And she's in charge of you. I always knew you had a thing for powerful women."

"She's not in charge of me. She was lead on that case, it's going to court and I had to go over a couple reports before she met up with the lawyer, that's all."

"No, it's cute. I've never seen you blush so badly in your life. Really, I've never seen you act this way, she must be the real deal."

"You done yet?"

"Fine, but I want an invitation to the wedding. Can I be in the bridal party? I already have the perfect poem to read. "

"Wow. You are relentless."

Stella's eyes followed Calleigh as she returned to her table from the restroom and watched as she took her seat next to Jake, who casually leaned over and kissed her neck, whispering something in her ear as he pulled away. She smiled in reply and turned back to the rest of the table of attractive looking couples. Just by the way she was sitting Stella could tell that Calleigh was very aware of Eric's presence and trying to be nonchalant. Yes she knew exactly what to read at their wedding.

Calleigh felt like she was blushing. If it weren't for that gorgeous woman sitting next to him, she wouldn't feel nearly so self-conscious. She felt hot and there was a slight feeling of nausea that was sweeping over her. She couldn't focus while Eric was sitting over there. It made her hyper aware of every move Jake made.

"Babe, you okay?" When it got to the point that Jake had to make sure she was okay she knew she was being too awkward.

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind, s'all."

"Don't worry, I won't keep you out too late tonight," he said with a lecherous smirk.

"Unless you want to be me in court tomorrow, I know you won't."

And he said something else, but she was distracted by the departure of Eric and Stella. Eric caught her eye and gave her a smile and then led Stella out with his hand on the small of her back. That creeping blushing feeling came back over Calleigh and she really started to worry.

It's not like she could attribute her feelings to jealousy or anything. Because she wasn't jealous. Not one bit. She'd made her choice. And as Jake made a crude joke that garnered laughs from the males at the table, she sighed inwardly and tried to console herself that it was a good decision.

O-O-O

The next day was a whirlwind of activity that resulted in Calleigh having a grand total of five minutes in the building, None of which were with Eric. And the only thing she could think about was seeing him with that woman and the look in his eyes and how beautiful she was. She was afraid to jump to conclusions again, but Stella looked too young to be any of his older sisters, whom she'd never met. And Eric didn't have friends that were women. Except her.

At least that's what she'd always thought.

Calleigh walked down the hallway to her mailbox and retrieved a pile of soon-to-be trash and inter-office mail. Sitting down with a sigh, she picked out the important looking letters and memos and discarded the others with precise shots to the trash can. An off-white envelope which felt expensive had her name on inscribed on the front in an elegant hand.

She knew what it was before she opened it. The Mayor's Ball. Last time she went she had a smarmy date that had a piece of spinach stuck in his teeth and couldn't manage to take his eyes away from her chest. That was nearly five years ago. It must be time to remember the crime lab and the Mayor had a soft spot for Horatio. The rest of the day crew was invited as a formality, to be recognized among the glitterati of Miami for their service to the community.

This year it was going to be held onthe _Indomitable Spirit_ a very grand private yacht and Calleigh couldn't help but roll her eyes at the thought. She'd rather turn her stomach inside out and wear it as a beret than attend one of those functions again. All the self-absorbed socialites, publicity stunts, misguided displays of affluence. Why couldn't they hold a charity dinner and possibly do some good?

"What's that?" asked Ryan as he passed behind Calleigh, headed straight to the coffee pot.

"Check your mail. You'll find that you are so humbly invited to THE event of the year."

"Oh that. I got it a couple days ago. You goin?"

"Not sure. It's according to how Horatio feels about the whole thing. Now that our lab doesn't look entirely discredited and embarrassing, I assume the mayor is willing to recognize us again, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's turned his back on us several times in the past."

"Yeah, but if we as a unit decide to not show, what does that say about our lab? God, why does everything have to be so political? I thought it was just supposed to be a nice night out."

"About a nice night out, have you decided what to do about your birthday and all?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I'm just going to push it all back a few weeks and have it the third weekend of July."

"Sounds good. Do you… need help with anything?" Calleigh was trying to be sensitive of his situation while pointing out that she was there for him.

"Nice try Cal, but I've got it under control. Now just isn't the time to be celebrating, that's all," and with that he backtracked out of the break room, leaving her sitting there in mystification. Ryan had not been overly forthcoming in admitting why the festivities were being pushed back, but she had a feeling it had to do with his mother.

Finally acknowledging that she should head home to her dark and thankfully empty house, she heaved her body off the couch and started back towards her car. But no day would be complete without a visit from her friendly investigative officer, Rick Stetler, and he appeared to have been waiting for her.

"I was wondering when you'd reappear again," he said quietly as she approached where he was lounging by the exit.

"You could have tried my cell," she replied as she stopped in front of him, hands propped on her hips.

"Oh, but I enjoy face-to-face interaction so much more," knowing smirk plastered to his face. "So here's the deal Calleigh. We appreciate what you and Jeff have done with the Johnson case and how everything was handled. Your record has been reviewed and was not found lacking. It was noted that it was quite exemplary. However, there is some concern," he paused for a moment, and she wasn't sure if this was to create some suspense, but she already knew where this was headed. Clearing his throat, he continued, "about your ability to remain unbiased in certain cases."

Calleigh had been waiting for this attack for a while and his words didn't alarm her. Sooner or later someone would shine a light on a couple of her less than preferable decisions. She had a patented response and enough acting ability to seem mildly affronted, but she was reaching a new place in her life. Constantly pleasing others was not nearly as high a priority for her anymore.

"Although not overt, there is a mild pattern of you being somewhat… brash in cases where you do not think the law applies. My office isn't too worried about that issue, seeing as overall you've checked out to be an excellent investigator. But between us, as officers, I'd like to remind you, that no one is above the law," he paused again and stood up indicating the tête-à-tête was almost over. "Your cases will be under review for the next six months, just to ensure that you walk the straight and narrow and that it can't fall back on us, especially after… the Johnson case."

She took in the information, but it didn't register. She figured she'd been under review for a while, so why was Stetler telling her this now? He had to be up to something… Not sure what though. If he was trying to get a reaction out of her, she was entirely too tired to give him one. Being in court dealing with asshat lawyers tended to wear on one's nerves.

"Got it. Thanks for giving me the heads up, Rick," at his look she figured he doubted her sincerity. If they could all treat each other with professionalism and respect, wouldn't a lot of grief get bypassed? "Really, thanks. I'll try to stay in line. Have a good night," she smiled and took the door, nodding at his wave as he retreated to his corner of the MDPD complex.

Driving home, Calleigh allowed her mind to wander, trying to tease out what Stetler was doing with his little informative scoop. He'd never liked her much, not since she'd defended Horatio a few years back. Being politically minded as he was, she figured he was trying to build some bridges before crossing over for an attack.

Something was up, and time would certainly reveal its mysteries.

O-O-O-O-O

Wednesday morning loomed over her like a dark cloud, her stomach crying desperately to expel its contents repeatedly. She was in court for the third time that week, a different case though. Charlie Redding was being retried for murder, since all evidence pointing him guilty for murdering 6 people in stead of only one had been thrown out.

She sat for once, on the defendant's side, right behind Charlie. She leaned over and gave him a pat on the shoulder and he turned and offered her a weary smile. He'd aged considerably while in prison, and she couldn't help but blame herself for his current state. Calleigh was amazed at the speed with which the trial was moving forward, but she figured her newfound friends in the DA's office had something to do with it.

Two months ago she'd been of considerable assistance to them with a high profile case and a few of the ADAs offered her future assistance within their means, should she ever need it. Taking them up on their offer, she managed to speed up an 8 month process, minimum, to a few weeks.

Of course, that didn't mean they weren't going to try to fry Charlie for the one murder he did commit. Calleigh was hoping they'd be able to settle with his lawyer and he might get relocated to a lower level security prison. His only request was that he'd get to see daylight every so often.

It really made her think about what happened to the individuals who got sent to prison based on her evidence. Dominic Johnson said he'd wanted nothing to do with the case, although he'd agreed behind closed doors to lend support if possible. She'd met with him on occasion during the past few weeks and she could tell he wasn't a completely different man, but he was slowly progressing in a positive direction, especially when he showed her photos of his family from an outing the weekend prior.

As the Judge took her seat and began, Calleigh settled in for another long day, hoping she'd be able to get away and do some actual investigating.

O-O-O

"You got here quick, I sent out the page ten minutes ago," said Horatio as he stood next to a confused looking crime-scene. A motorcycle was literally sitting on one of the branches on a large tree. No one except for the police was around, which was odd in itself.

"I was in court. They already took my testimony so I had no reason to stay."

"Ah well. Do you want to take this one then? I just left a scene with Natalia and I should probably head back."

"Sure," said Calleigh as Horatio prepared to update her on what occurred.

"So we got dispatched that there's a bike in that tree," motioning to the tree, he then turned in the opposite direction. "The owner lives in that house and has been missing for almost 24 hours. We were called because the owner was last seen on this bike."

"And that's all she wrote?"

"Beginning and end. Have a lovely day."

"Oh, I will," she said under her breath as she cursed herself for not bringing a change of clothes in the hummer. She was glad to have a case; her others had been wrapped up earlier in the week and after court, she needed something that made her mind work.

After spending twenty minutes discussing ways that someone could get their bike up fourteen feet to the lowest, thickest branch on the tree, Calleigh saw Eric arrive. Glad that he was there, if only to climb up the tree, she gave him a smile as he walked up to her and the other officers.

"So, motorcycle on a tree, how'd that happen?"

"And I thought you were going to show up here with all the answers," returned Calleigh as they approached the tree with their kits.

"The answers are in my other pants. I'll break them out on a rainy day," he shot back as they dropped the bulky metal boxes to the ground. "Judging on your attire I assume you want to speak to the family while I risk life and limb climbing up this tree?"

"You assume correctly kind sir," she said with a smile. "Although, Frank should be here soon, I'll help you until he arrives."

She looked over at him and saw a goofy smile on his face and she couldn't help but match his with her own. This was the first time they'd worked together in quite a while. It was… nice.

After doing a perimeter, finding a footprint and evidence of a heavy vehicle parked nearby, Calleigh went inside with Frank to question the Aunt of the motorcycle owner. The woman was shorter than Calleigh by a few inches and weighed 90 pounds soaking wet with an accent that put Calleigh's to shame. She was clad in a bright jumpsuit that only older people are allowed to wear without getting openly mocked.

"I told her not to get a motorcycle. Plain crazy, that's what them things are. Wouldn't listen, and look where it got her!"

"Ma'am I understand you're angry, but we're trying to locate your niece and figure out how the motorcycle actually ended up in the tree."

"Whatchyou askin' me fer? I went out to check my mail and happened to look over andt [sic I saw it."

"And when did you go out to check your mail?" asked Frank, clearly uninterested in being there any longer than necessary.

"Oh, I'd say 'round eleven. Roy's my mailman. I could set a watch to when he drops off my mail."

"Do you happen to know Roy's last name?"

"No, but he drives the same truck ever' day, has a flower sticker on it. His daughter stuck it on there as a joke, now he cain't get it off."

"Got it. When's the last time you saw your niece?"

"This mornin' 'fore she headed off to work 'bout 8. She works at the grocery store on Hughes. Her manager called asking whar she was when she didn't show."

They asked a few more questions and drew the interview to a close. Frank said he'd call around and see if he could get anything, while Calleigh walked back over to Eric who was speaking with the crew that was trying to carefully remove the motorcycle without harming the tree.

"How's it goin'?"

"I'll give you five dollars to trade with me," he looked a little weary and tired of dealing with the issue.

"I go for a higher rate than that."

"Wouldn't doubt it."

"Wow, you wound me Delko," she said with mock hurt.

"I'd never dare, Miss Duquesne," he replied with another smile.

Were they flirting? Yes, they were. And they both liked it.

They bantered back and fourth for a few more minutes while the bike was lowered and readied for transfer to the lab's garage.

It was coming upon mid afternoon and they were still treading through worthless evidence in the garage, when Frank called with at least a shred of relief.

"Found the niece. She blew off work to go out with some guy on his yacht. Thinks that her ex stole the bike, but has no clue how it got in the tree."

"Do we have a name on the ex?"

"I'll do you one better. Got him in the back of my cruiser right now. We're ten minutes out from the building. Claims to have no clue how it got up there."

"What's his name?"

"Joe Kidd."

"Kidd… from Kidd Trucking Company?"

"Yup."

"Excellent. I'll meet you in interrogation."

"Don't bother Cal. I'll call you if we need anything; otherwise, I think we can get it out of him without too much hassle."

"Sounds good, let me know."

"What's up?" asked Eric as he stood up slowly, his knees screaming in pain from having been bent for so long.

"We may be getting off early today," said Calleigh with a hopeful smile.

"Ha, _you_ may be," said Eric as he cleaned up his hands with a rag. "No fun for me tonight. I have about five days worth of paperwork to catch up on."

"That's right, Mr. Rockstar case-solver, I forgot I was standing in hallowed presence. New girl, high solve-rate, and parties galore. Your kind of life."

New girl? What? Oh. Right. Stella. He knew this was coming. He didn't know why he was still surprised. Maybe he should pretend like it didn't draw his attention. But he could tell Calleigh was dying to know.

"Not a new girl. She's just in town, visiting her family. We were neighbors growing up."

She looked doubtful. He couldn't tell if it was because she didn't believe him or because she saw something else there. With the history he and Stella had, most of it being platonic, he'd swear on his mother's bible that there was nothing between him and Stella.

"She's awfully pretty."

Oh yes. She was totally fishing.

"What's she in town for?"

"Uh… several reasons, the main one being a job interview. She's getting her doctorate from M.I.T. in August."

Calleigh did a double take. That girl Eric was with? M.I.T.? No way.

"Wait, we are talking about the same woman right? Stella?"

"Ha, yeah. She's absolutely crazy. You'd get along great."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she was amused at his minor slip.

"No, not in the crazy way, just that you're both really smart and beautiful and you tend to be pretty stubborn and I'm going to stop talking now," he said as he felt his hole getting deeper and deeper with every utterance. At the same time Calleigh, her back turned to Eric, had a smile that grew and grew the further he elaborated.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, she's only here for a few days. She'll probably be back after she defends, but I'm not holding my breath. I figure she'll move out to California or something if she gets the chance."

"California?"

"Yeah, well, she went to undergrad out there, and she really doesn't like here that much. Miami isn't really her kind of city."

"Not her kind of city?"

"When we were growing up we'd close our eyes, spin each other around and stop each other in front of a map and point. Wherever we landed, as long as it wasn't water, that's where we said we'd live one day. When she had to choose a school for college, she made me spin her around and she pointed. California was where it landed. She packed her bags and went. When my turn came I had to choose from the little stack of scholarships I was offered. The 'Canes took me and here I still am. But Stella? If she says she's going to do something, then someway, somehow, she makes it happen."

Calleigh nodded as he said this, understanding the great amount of respect he had for her. She wondered if she really would get along with Stella. Or with any woman that Eric ended up with. She hoped she'd be able to handle it. As long as it wasn't some ditzy, silicone and botox production, she'd be fine. Looking over at Eric she smiled, thinking it was funny how he still managed to surprise her.

"And now?"

"Now what?"

"If I spun you around in front of a map and your finger landed on a country, would you pack up and go?"

"Once my finances get straightened out, yeah, sure."

She nodded, thinking about it. She always wondered if she'd be able to do it, if she could just say goodbye to work for a while, write off her responsibilities and do something for _her_ for a change. Maybe, maybe not.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, standing a little bit closer now.

"Whether or not I could do that. Just take off."

"Doubt it. You aren't the type. When you aren't in court you're doing other things, or dealing with the IAB. That's on top of handling a full case-load."

"Which I can't seem to do lately. Plus you're wiping the floor with me as far as cases go."

"Hardly. It's not like it's the first time and it won't be the last. What's wrong with me pulling ahead anyway?"

"Nothing, I think it's great. The more cases you solve equals one more point for the team. I haven't been much use lately, so someone's got to get the job done."

"What you think you haven't done much?"

She looked at him and instead of brushing off his question; she answered him with the truth like almost always.

"Lately? Yeah. You remember what it's like, constantly being put under the microscope. That, and I don't know…" she paused, trying to put words to her scattered thoughts.

Eric watched her as she floundered and realized how tired she looked. Life hadn't been too hectic lately, but she didn't look rested, or happy, or even mildly content. She just looked a little rundown. Or slightly less than perfect, by Calleigh's standards at least. She looked up at him and smiled apologetically, shaking her head.

"Never mind. I think I just need a night to go home and just sit and not think."

"You, not think? That's like the sun not rising. They are both vital for life to move on. Maybe you should just get out of here for the afternoon, just hop in your car and drive for a while."

"No, I couldn't. There's…" he knew she wanted to say Jake, but she bypassed mentioning him by finding life at fault for her inability to get away. "So much other stuff I have to think about right now."

"Right."

"What?"

"You never do anything crazy. Never do anything spontaneous. When's the last time you just dropped your stuff and ran?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" there was a ragged edge to her words. He may have touched a sore spot. The utmost caution must be used.

"I'm just saying, maybe you could benefit from less structure. Some surprise and irregularity in your life. Teach you to be more flexible."

"I'm inflexible?"

The irritation was evident. He needed to backtrack immediately.

"First off, no. Second, I said you could use more flexibility… we all could. You could just use some spontaneity in your life, that's all."

Calleigh looked at him and shrugged, gathering the rest of the evidence before giving him a slow smile.

"You're probably right, but we both know that it'll never happen," she opened the door into the lab and waited for him to pass through, his arms full of evidence boxes.

As they parted in the hallway, she to ballistics and he to evidence processing, they both offered consolatory smiles, both knowing they'd have been better off if they'd just kept their mouths shut.

O-O-O-O-O

Spontaneity. He said she lacked spontaneity. Oh honestly. She could be random and surprising. He just didn't know that side of her. And he never would if she could help it. She wanted to maintain that very rigid line of defense she'd spent years constructing.

Still. Spontaneous?

Sure, she liked her order. Her structure and organization. But growing up she found her life to be somewhat unpredictable so any semblance of order was desired at all times. Was it really so bad to have a color coded schedule?

The door open and Jake strolled in, looking like a man on a mission.

"Hey babe, you remember Rico?"

"Illegal Rico, or your handler Rico?"

"Handler Rico, of course," sometimes he wondered what she really thought about him. He told her he'd severed all ties from his UC days, but she maintained her reservations.

"Sure, what's up?" she was kneeling in front of a cabinet searching for a box of cartridges.

"Well you know how he has lots of odd jobs. He happens to run a travel agency. He has a group going out tomorrow to Antigua for five days and a couple just backed out."

"Okay…" she was being purposefully elusive. Jake wanting to go on a vacation with her was no small matter.

"Can you take off the rest of the week? We'd get back Monday evening with plenty of time for you to be ready for work on Wednesday."

"Let me get this straight, you want me to just drop what I'm doing and take off with you on some crazy adventure?"

"Yeah," he said sensibly. Common sense prevailed with every nod of his head. He watched her debate within her mind and he could tell she was torn. It was so easy sometimes to see what she was thinking, while others she was impossibly hard to read. Right now it looked like she needed a little nudge.

"Look I know this is a little impulsive, a little spontaneous, but live a little. C'mon when's the last time you did something like this?"

She looked up at him when he said the magic word, 'spontaneous'. He had her right there. He could have suggested going for a romantic walk in a swamp then eat mud covered ants for dinner, but as long as he said spontaneous, she'd have agreed. It was uncanny how well he was answering all of her problems.

"Okay, but this is your deal. If we get stranded in some airport in the Caribbean, I'll let you explain that one to Horatio."

"Sweet." he said with noticeable relief, "because I already bought the tickets. We're taking a charter flight with the rest of the group early tomorrow morning. I'll swing by and pick you up later?"

"Sounds good," she said with a genuine smile ignoring the fact that he'd agreed already without asking her. After he retreated she sighed to herself.

Still in her kneeling position in front of the cabinet, she braced her head on her arm which was hanging on the cabinet door. Exhaling loudly, she just realized that she agreed to the first vacation she'd had in years. Years! And it was with Jake, no less.

Spontaneous.

Eat your heart out, Eric Delko.

O-O-O-O-O

Eric closed the back door of the hummer, hoisting his messenger bag over his shoulder. It was packed with files that he'd intended to work on at home, but his bed had been too inviting at the time. He hoped that staying in the lab would induce a prolific report completing streak. Or not. But at least he could say he tried.

As he climbed the steps to enter the building he saw Calleigh and Horatio speaking. She was handing Horatio a piece of paper and nodding as he spoke. Her briefcase at her feet, she smiled at his question and opened up her sunglasses and put them on. Horatio was laughing as well and Eric found the sight oddly comforting. Seeing the both of them smile or laugh was so rare these days.

"What's so funny?" asked Eric as he reached where they were standing.

"Your colleague here is trying to pull a fast one on me," said Horatio enigmatically.

At Eric's questioning look Calleigh elaborated.

"I was just submitting a request for a PTO."

"Paid time off? What for?"

"She and I are going on a little vacation for a few days," said Jake as he walked up behind them and slid around to Calleigh, handing her a helmet. Satisfaction was evident.

Eric wondered if his jaw actually fell. He hoped not. Fumbling for a response, he managed to utter something that wasn't seeped in sarcasm and thinly veiled anger.

"Where to?"

"Antigua," Calleigh offered with a mixture of hesitance and pride as she bent down to pick up her briefcase. Eric stood there and watched her actions, unable to respond. Horatio noticed the rapidly mounting tension and decided to put out the fire before it began.

"Well, you two have a safe trip, I'll see you next week ma'am. Eric, don't you have a few reports you need me to sign?"

Calleigh watched as Eric looked at her one more time, then nodded to Horatio.

"Sure do. Be safe with our girl Jake," said Eric with a forced smile as Calleigh and Jake turned to go. Calleigh saw Eric's hand land on Jake's arm and she began to wonder if she'd have to run interference. Staring hard in Jake's eyes Eric's voice got low and serious as he said: "she's more important than you can imagine."

Jake looked down at Eric's hand and then back up to Eric and he just gave him a nod.

"Ready babe?"

They continued down the steps to where Jake's motorcycle sat, ready to be ridden. It was a fine bike and if Eric didn't want to beat Jake senseless all the time, he'd probably talk shop with him sometime. Or at least try to borrow it.

Horatio held the door and watched past Eric to Calleigh by the street as she removed her sunglasses and placed them in their case and stowing them in her bag. And even though it messed up her hair, she still wore a helmet, mainly because she'd scraped too many kids off the street. Vanity be damned.

She squeezed her head in the proverbial brain case and slid onto the back of the bike with practiced ease, wrapping her arms around Jake as he revved the bike before pushing off. As she blinked against the wind before pulling down the visor, the image of Eric's crestfallen face flashed in her mind, and she couldn't shrug off the feeling that disappointment was the only thing Eric was feeling as she rode away.

Eric marched into the building behind Horatio and felt like he was walking towards death with each and every step. Horatio gave him a quiet pat on the back and Eric continued down the hall, finding a place to work away his frustrations.

If this was what caring for someone felt like, he wanted no part of it.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: I'm aware this is a shorter chapter, but I feel it did what I wanted it to do. Right now I want you to be pissed at Calleigh and wishing you could spend your evening helping Eric finish his reports so he can call up someone who isn't emotionally constipated (yes I am still frustrated about the premiere).

Next chapter: Another adventure and we shall meet Calleigh's baby bro. If anyone is opposed to this, please let me know. He will be a foil for Ms. Duquesne, but if it seems trite or out of place, I'd rather not spend hours writing it.

Reviews/Thoughts love.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 14:16

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Born to Kill

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Atlanta crew and Calleigh's family are MINE.

A/N: This chapter can be considered an aside, for it has nothing to do with Miami, but everything to do with Calleigh. This giant, and by giant, I mean 45 pages worth (yeah, I hope you're comfy) chapter will serve as a catalyst for the rest of this story.

Warning: There is a lot going on here, so please, be patient and bear with me. Thanks for reading and please enjoy!

O-O-O-O-O

It was a great trip, really, it was. Even IF the ship was for the 55 crowd, and there had been more bed hopping than a spring break cruise full of horny co-eds. Despite that, she and Jake had a good time. And that's what their relationship was about, right? Having a good time. It had become clear however, throughout the course of the week when they received frequent questions about their non-existent marital status that Jake was not in this to get married.

Something told her that his issues with marriage exceeded hers at times, still, he had no reason to emphatically deny the possibility. They'd even had a semi-heated debate about it one night resulting in Calleigh storming out, wishing she hadn't come. Apologies were thrown back and forth and she came back hours later, but neither one felt particularly good. Their relationship was hazy and uncertain and Calleigh wasn't sure she was okay with that anymore.

Calleigh's knew friend, Evelyn, had encouraged her to drop him once she got back, explaining that any guy who was afraid to commit at this point in his life was never going to commit. She never said anything about women though. And it wasn't all Jake's fault. Calleigh had plenty of reservations with regards to a long term relationship, which provided sturdy excuses when the time came for her to call it quits.

Essentially they were a dysfunctional relationship on the repeat cycle. It worked out pretty well, as a matter of fact. At one point Jake admitted to seeing a future for them, but he wasn't sure he'd ever want children. That opened up an entirely new can of worms. Calleigh had never tried to dwell too hard on the prospect of children. When she was younger, she'd always filed it away in that part of her brain that would handle the issue when it arose. She simply never took the time to analyze whether or not she really wanted children, or whether she thought she'd be a good mom, or the plethora of fears that plagued commitment-phobes.

Regardless, she'd also been kindly reminded that her child-bearing years were reaching their prime, and if she wanted to get a 'bun in the oven', she'd better get a move on. Splendid. She'd rather be certain of one relationship before trying to bring little people into the picture. When did things get so difficult?

Calleigh placed her coffee mug on the roof of her car as she tossed her brief case behind the driver's seat and grabbed it before easing inside. She found it funny that even her subconscious worked against her when selecting a car, which was designed to hold only two, and definitely no car seats or spongebob. Maybe she wasn't meant to breed.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she climbed in and headed for the lab, her first day back and already it was 90 degrees. It was bright and early on a Monday morning, dead bodies waiting to be scrutinized and discussed. Oh the joys of being an investigator of crimes.

O-O

Calleigh's phone rang at her hip. Not familiar with the number, she answered.

"Hey Blondie."

Calleigh pulled the phone away and looked at the number. Where was that area code? Tallahassee? No… Atlanta? There was only one person who called her that and got away with it.

"Cory Anderson?"

"Hey gorgeous how ya doin?"

"Fine, and you sir?"

"Fantastic. Now, I was wondering if I could collect on that favor you owe me," he said in a hopeful way.

"Cory, that was, what… Eight years ago?"

"You promised," petulance was his strong suit.

"This better be important, I'm on my way to work."

"That's what this is about actually," he said a little hesitantly. "You worked the case with the serial killer who preyed on young married couples, right?"

"Four years ago, never caught the bastard."

"Well, I think he's back."

Calleigh's eyebrows drew together as she sat in stunned silence at the red light half a block from the lab. That had been her second serial case, and one of the worst. Blood soaked crime scenes and heartless executions. She sometimes wished she didn't have such a reliable visual recall.

"Calleigh?"

"Yeah, sorry. What uh, what does this have to do with you?"

"I think he's here. In Atlanta."

"Why aren't you talking to the F.B.I. then?"

"Because I'm trying to confirm that this isn't him so we can keep our case."

"And what do you need me for?"

"We need you to bring what you've got and work with us on the investigation. And if it is him, we can keep you around to help out with all the particulars and such. The other two people that worked with you aren't even there anymore."

She frowned. He was talking about Tim and Megan. She really was his only hope. Thing was, there wasn't much she could do to help.

"If the Feds wants this, they're going to take it. I don't see what I can really do to help you," she said as the light changed again.

"There are a couple things that are different, things that kind of need to be seen."

"I can't just fly up there to take a peek and fly back. My boss is going to need more of a reason than that."

"Oh, Horatio already approved it."

"What? You can't be serious."

"He told me to call you just now, so this is me… calling you. I think your flight leaves in three hours. Drop by your office, pick up the fax I sent and get whatever evidence you can find at this hour. I'll pick you up once you get here."

"Wait. Cory…"

"No waiting, Calleigh. We only have a few days before this may happen again. I'll pick you up from Hartsfield. See you in a few hours."

"But…"

The line went dead.

Oh no he didn't. If she had her fire arm, which she didn't, she would have pulled it on Horatio upon entering the office. Who did Horatio think he was? Agreeing her to a case without her permission. It was unwise to get her ire up first thing in the morning before she'd finished her first cup of coffee.

As she literally trounced down the halls with murder on the mind, she neglected to offer salutations to a few of her crew members, Ryan and Eric, who happened to be exiting the break room as she pressed on, full speed ahead towards Horatio's office.

"Something tells me either she didn't have a good time in Antigua, or H is about to die."

Eric, not caring one way or another, shrugged away Ryan's comment and walked on to trace, where he was certain he'd find what he needed to close his case. Since Calleigh had left, he'd gone out every night with Mateo and some of his other friends, and once or twice Ryan had joined in. Lately, Eric worked hard when he was at work, and played harder when he was out.

He wanted to reclaim his old self, the carefree guy who didn't have a sick sister or family problems. The one who could stay out dancing until he had to be at work the next day. Even when thoughts of Calleigh trickled in, he brushed them aside, no longer willing to acknowledge them. He considered her to be his bad habit and he didn't want to have anything to do with her.

And if someone asked him what she'd done wrong, the problem was that he couldn't point out one specific thing. She'd gone on vacation with her boyfriend. What's worse was that Eric was kind of to blame for it. He encouraged her to take chances or some rubbish like that. Regardless, she actually listened to him and trod all over his crumbled heart. Or that's how he pictured it.

It didn't matter anyway, he'd met someone. Her name was Kate and she actually was a kindergarten teacher. She was tall and cute and very kind. The best part was that she didn't have any neuroses with regards to dating and the possibility of commitment.

As he returned to the hallway, he caught wind of one of the techs saying something about someone going to Atlanta for a reopened case. Ryan also mysteriously managed to be conferring with Natalia in the hallway as they tried to inconspicuously peer down the hall into Horatio's glassed-in office.

"I heard the Newly-Wed Killer is back," said Natalia, "and they think he moved up to Atlanta."

"Is that why Calleigh looks like she's ripping H a new one?"

Eric tried to remember who worked that case, but he barely remembered the important details. All he knew was that the guy was never caught and that Megan spent a week being pissed. Which wasn't that unordinary. Eric caught sight of H offering Calleigh some form of an apology, but she didn't look too receptive. But then she was hard to read at times. Calleigh shrugged at Horatio then left with a hesitant smile, opening up her phone and calling the guy that maintained records in evidence. And she was off like firecracker.

Ten minutes later, Eric was in A/V with Ryan and Natalia, arguing over what a nebulous splotch was in the magnified photo they were staring at. Calleigh came in with two boxes and a tech who she was instructing on what needed to be sent digitally and what needed to be packaged for transport with her.

"Hey Cal, how was your vacation?" asked Ryan hesitantly.

"I'm starting to think it wasn't long enough. Clearly Miami managed to stay corrupt in my absence. Anything exciting?"

"Other than Eric over here?" said Ryan as he made a 'bow down' gesture. "Not much. This man is a machine. You're totally going to beat the all-time cases solved record, man."

"Not if we can't figure out what that stupid piece of fuzz is on the photo," said Eric, who still had not even glanced at Calleigh. Something she noted quickly.

"Maybe it's a mailbox," postulated Natalia.

"In a garden? No way."

"Yeah, it's shaped too weird."

"Fine, what is it then?"

Calleigh looked up from her box and decided to join in on the debate for a few moments. As she walked up next to Eric, she purposely brushed up against him, to which he responded by stepping back. So that's how it's going to be. She didn't know why she was surprised. He could be awfully childish sometimes.

Turning her head to the side and squinting again, Calleigh took another step closer and played with the photo a bit, her fingers growing used to the equipment again. She knew that image, she just couldn't place it. And then it made sense, and the dispute seemed stupid.

"Is it a shovel? You know, the flat-edge kind? One you would find in a garden."

"Yeah, without the handle," said Ryan. "Nice catch. Hey, did H give you your gun back? I cleaned it for you so it would be nice and shiny."

Calleigh looked at him and paused, kind of like a deer caught in the headlights. Eric watched as she clenched her jaw and realized he'd never seen her do that before. Just like a wave, a smile was plastered to her face and she patted Ryan on the arm in thanks.

"No, not yet, I'll take care of that when I get back, but thank you," she said as she walked back to the computer where she and the tech were retrieving stored files. They continued to work until the silence was broken by Calleigh gathering her things and bidding them farewell.

"Have a great day guys, I'll be back before you know it."

"Thanks, and good luck with nailing the bastard," said Natalia.

"Ha," said Calleigh with her usual smirk. "We'll need it. Especially once the Feds get involved. Take care y'all."

"Bye," echoed Ryan and Eric as they continued working.

O-O-O-O-O

What a day. Calleigh sighed loudly as she leaned against a wall in the Metro-Atlanta Crime Lab. Her big decision of the moment was whether she wanted iced tea or a diet soda, neither one particularly appealing to her. As she closed her eyes and punched a button, she was surprised with an orange Gatorade. At least her electrolytes would be replenished.

"So, what do you think?" asked Cory as he walked into the break room, searching for some pretzels. He looked the same as when she last saw him, except with a little more of a belly and some wrinkles around his eyes. "I know Mossimo is a little hard to get along with, but he really does mean well."

Mossimo Nicoletti was the lab's dayshift supervisor and was known county and probably state-wide by his first name. He was an 'import' from a little town outside Milan, Italy. Calleigh found him to be outrageously intelligent and matched it ounce for ounce with pretentious arrogance.

"Mossimo isn't the problem. He's fine; I've handled similar men like him in Miami. It's just… this case. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to stay here."

"You and me both. I was surprised the Feds requested you stay though, even though it's crossed state lines and everything, they should be able to handle it."

"I think it has to do with my familiarity to the case and them wanting quick answers. This case involves kids who are madly in love, about to embark on their honeymoons and this guy cruises into the picture and absolutely mutilates them."

"I just don't get why he came to Atlanta."

"I think that's something the Feds can worry about."

"Yeah, well. Did you get anything from the tool marks on the girl's ribs?"

"Yes, actually," they continued walking towards a room that held nearly every imaginable weapon known to man. It gave Calleigh chills when she entered. "It's the same weapon as the others, a scalpel. Let me ask you a question though," she asked as he grabbed a small box of evidence and they continued on towards Analysis and Testing. "Do you know if they found any traces of her skin tissue nearby?"

The scene was just like the others, a young couple found in each others arms completely nude, lying on their bed. The key was that he always removed the hearts from the victims, and based off what the CSIs could tell, they were always alive when he started cutting, and he did not use any precise instruments to do the procedure. The worst part was that the wifehusband typically had to lay there restrained while watching her groom get puulled apart.

The first time Calleigh had ever seen it, she'd been mortified and stunned. It was the first time Tim had offered to drive her home after an awful day at work, the first time she'd actually been able to call him her friend. Weeks later when two more couples had been killed and they still had nothing, Tim resolved to find the guy if it was the last thing he did. Sadly, he didn't succeed. She'd buried the case with him the next year, hoping to never relive it.

Unfortunately that was not the case. She and Cory labored away for a few more hours talking sporadically and sharing findings. Every piece of evidence indicated that this was the guy. For Tim's sake and for the sake of potential victims, Calleigh was determined to end this here and now. Or as soon as humanly possible… after they got some rest.

"Blondie, c'mon, I'm tired. Let's get some grub and see the missus before she has a conniption because I kept you away."

"What do you mean?"

"What, did you think I was just going to hang you out to dry? There's no way you're staying in a hotel tonight. And definitely no way that you're going to get out of dinner at my house."

"But you have a new baby," Calleigh sputtered.

"Well spotted, and you're hesitating. C'mon grab your bag, let's go."

"But…"

She knew her arguments were futile. Once Cory had his mind set, there was no dissuading him. She picked up her rolling suitcase and followed her old, old friend, sighing all the way.

O-O-O

As they pulled into Cory's driveway, Calleigh couldn't stop thinking what a bad idea it was. As she peered up at the house, she saw that it was quite large, thankfully, and hoped Lisa wouldn't feel too put out with his rash decision. Which if Calleigh were in her shoes, she would be. Having just birthed their second child only a month ago, she couldn't imagine how having a houseguest could make the situation better for Lisa.

They walked inside with Calleigh's bag in tow, where a short, stout afro-American woman popped her head through the door into the mudroom. She looked like the nanny, for all intents and purposes.

"Hey there Cory, Lisa is just finishing up with Tyler. She said she'd be down in a minute."

"Sounds good," he said with a smile. "Shirley, let me introduce you to a very old, very good friend, Calleigh Duquesne. Calleigh, meet Shirley Campbell, the most amazing person I've ever met."

"Oh you're just trying to get some cookies out of me," she said as she popped him on the shoulder with her towel. She gave Calleigh a sincere smile and a warm handshake. "Don't listen to a word he says. I'm mean and I don't let him get away with things."

"He still gets away with some things, that's for sure," said Lisa as she breezed into the kitchen holding a bowl and spoon. "If you're going to eat ice cream in bed, you might want to get rid of the evidence first," she said as she shook the spoon at him with a sigh.

"Yes, yes, now do you understand my plight, Calleigh?"

"Hardly. It looks like you've got two wonderful women keeping track of you, I'd say you're better off than most," said Calleigh as she watched Lisa come around to greet her.

"It's been far too long, Calleigh!" They hugged each other tight, and Calleigh felt the pang of lapsed friendship. "We need to get you up here more often."

"If y'all keep getting our cases, I'll be the first to hop on the flight. You look amazing, by the way."

And she did. Despite just having Ashton, Lisa appeared to have almost returned to normal slender figure.

"She better look amazing, spends half her time running after Tyler and keepin' Ashton happy," said Shirley from the stove.

"Oh stop. Shirley lies. If she weren't here then I'd probably have checked myself into a facility by now. She is a godsend!"

"Well, goodness Shirley how do you feel about all these praises?" asked Calleigh as she watched the older woman stir a pot. "You're amazing and a godsend."

"I feel like they're trying to get out of doing the dishes later," she replied with a smile.

"Ha! Come on Cal, I show you to your room," said Cory as he grabbed her bag and charged up the stairs. "Don't worry; we're putting you as far away from the baby as possible. She's cute, but she can get loud. We'll have her on a sleep schedule soon enough."

"You can really do that? Get them on a schedule?"

"Sometimes, it all has to do with the baby's temperament. Though Ashton has been very similar to Tyler so I don't see it being a problem."

They talked a bit more as he showed her around, peeking in on Tyler, thumb in mouth and blanket by his side, as well as Ashton, still tiny and button cute.

"She's gorgeous Cory, absolutely lovely," said Calleigh as she brushed her finger softly over Ashton's clenched fist. They continued downstairs as Lisa and Shirley prattled away, both readying the table for dinner. Lisa was a well-known southern interior decorator, which made sense when Calleigh looked around the impeccably designed and decorated house. Lisa was known for taking chances and for her flawless, elegant taste.

After dinner, they all had a glass of red wine and sat out on the back porch in rocking chairs, the warm summer air delightfully breezy on what had been an oppressively hot day. Lisa kicked her feet up in her chair, folding them beneath her like a contortionist, or one who spends hours sweating off baby weight in the gym.

"I know I'm not the best at these kinds of things, but do you have any idea why the killer came up here? Why Atlanta?" asked Lisa as she swirled her wine around in her glass.

"The Feds brought in some guy who specializes in weird cases like this," offered Calleigh. "He thinks the killer is striking in these two areas for different reasons. Primarily it is to get back at an old lover or possible fiancé. Our reasoning was that he was a jilted suitor who just snapped one day and started killing others so they couldn't experience any happiness either. I'm starting to think that maybe he's following her."

"I think you're right," said Cory. "Either that or he's striking places that mean something to her."

"There wasn't a link between the couples in Miami?" asked Shirley, as she channeled Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

"Nope, we thought for a while it might go back to high school or something, but this guy chose victims at random, no pattern to the days, no link to the couples. Essentially the worst type of sociopath there is."

"What makes me worried is the fact that some crazy kids are getting married on Thursday. "

"Who gets married on a Thursday?" asked Shirley.

"Kids who are used to getting whatever they want," said Calleigh as she read the newspaper in which the exact wedding was being referred to. "Appears it's a much talked about affair. The bride-to-be's father, Morgan Jones owns half the buildings in Atlanta."

"Have they been warned they they're a possible target?" asked Lisa as she drained the last of her glass and set it on the table beside her.

"Oh of course, but Mr. Jones thinks it's all 'hogwash and ballyhoo' no joke, those were his words. We've got the couple under surveillance, but otherwise we haven't done much by way of protection."

Calleigh remained quiet for the most part as they shot theories back and forth. She contemplated the case and the general niceness of being in the presence of enjoyable people. She was beginning to think she hadn't been enjoying life lately. The cruise had done a fine job of pointing that out.

"Right Calleigh?"

"Hmmm? Sorry, my thoughts were drifting, what'd you say?"

"Don't worry about it. We should get to bed. The Fed guy profiler man wants an early meeting with us."

"What was his name?" asked Calleigh as she followed the others inside. "Jackson Spence? Could he sound anymore like some action hero?"

"I'm pretty sure he made it up. It's amazing what you can get your name changed to these days."

As they all said their goodnights, Calleigh reflected on the lightness with which they all interacted. Cory seemed to be able to compartmentalize well, like he normally didn't talk about work much when he was at home. She figured that was a good idea due to the nature of their jobs, but still. Being a CSI was an exhaustive job and she just hoped he had an outlet.

O-O-O

It was the following afternoon and they'd actually made headway. At first working with another team had been a little difficult, but she took time to see how they all interacted, and found that Cory had a great bunch of people he worked with. The techs in this lab were given a little more leeway; some were even assisting in recovering evidence from scenes. She then learned that they'd received special training and were more skilled at acquiring specific objects- things they knew to look for- better than the regular CSI.

Currently, she was going over trace with Simon, who was her equal in age, but she felt his intelligence far exceeded hers. He was soft-spoken and somewhat intense, but he had this quiet laugh that she liked and had a wonderfully dry sense of humor like Speedle. There was a sadness about him though, where smiles didn't quite reach his eyes, and like he was a little lost.

"Ah, hello Calleigh, Simon treating you well, yes?" inflected Mossimo as he glided into the room.

"Certainly," said Calleigh as she glanced at Simon who was adjusting his frameless glasses and pretending not to care that Mossimo had just interrupted them. "Simon was just explaining why our guy has evolved so well over the years, and why he doesn't think that our couple getting married on Thursday has anything to be worried about."

Mossimo gave Simon a glance that spoke volumes. They didn't dislike each other exactly, it was just that Mossimo saw in Simon an intellect equal to his own, and he felt a little threatened. At least, that's what Calleigh observed from their few interactions.

"Ah yes, well you must speak with the Feds, yes?" Mossimo had already begun tinkering with some of Simon's stuff and they both watched as he peered into a microscope, muttering in Italian. Calleigh felt Simon tap her softly on the hand and motion for her to follow him.

"He's going to be in there for hours now. Once he gets started, he doesn't stop."

"But what about everything we were working on?" asked Calleigh as she followed him down the hallway.

"Ah we don't need it. I wanted to go on a drive to see if I could get some soil samples to match what we found on scene. You're welcome to come with unless you want to see what Cory's up to."

"No that's alright, let's follow the dirt."

O-O-O

Hours later, Calleigh, who had the misfortune of stepping knee deep into some well disguised mud, had changed into a pair of lab issued attire and felt completely out of sorts. It felt almost traitorous to being wearing another lab's shirt as though she worked there.

"Blondie, I'm flattered that you want to be like me and everything, but don't you think this is a bit extreme?" said Cory as he approached her from his dungeon. Their lab was on a smaller lot, thus it was numerous stories high instead of being large and sprawling. Poor Cory found himself consigned to the basement more often than not, and daylight was scarce.

"Save it Anderson, your coworker neglected to warn me before I found myself in the thick of it."

"Hey," said Simon as he walked up behind them. "You literally were in the thick of it. The sample I got off your pants matches what we found at the last scene."

"That's great, was there anything in it that could give us a lead though?" asked Calleigh as she followed Simon and Cory into the break room where they all took a seat.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Simon with a subtle smile. "It's only found in a four mile area of the county. I'm pretty sure I can get it narrowed down tonight. Plus, the Feds are breathing down my neck, they'll have to rush off immediately once I find something."

"They already know Simon," said Mossimo as he breezed into the room, knocking against the table in his haste. "You must release all information to them as soon as you acquire it! I just got… whatyoucallit? _Torn a new one_. That is unacceptable."

"Yeah, got it," said Simon in a placating manner, hands raised slightly.

"We all meet at 1900 then the Feds want to send some data up to their lab in D.C., so we can't move further with this case until the morning."

"That's ridiculous," said Calleigh before she could censor herself. Her irritation with the speed at which this case was moving and the whole mud ordeal had brought her to the tipping point. Both Simon and Cory looked at her, mildly surprised, yet equally indignant. "This is still our case. They can't order us around, mandating what we do and when we do it!"

She was standing at that point, clearly incensed. She began this longwinded rant that had all three men mesmerized and left her with a heaving chest and flushed cheeks. Apparently she'd had enough.

"Well, Ms. Duquesne, I'm sorry you feel that way," said Special Agent Jackson Spence from the doorway behind her. "But unfortunately, we_can_ do that, and we are. Take a break, go eat some collard greens and some fried chicken come back in the morning. Right now we just want to run some tests and assemble a tactical team. We'll need the night and in the meantime, you all can be relaxing."

"Thanks, but we don't need sleep. We don't need to go home. We need to find this asshole and if we have the means to do it, why should we wait?" her volume was lower, more in control.

"Ah, you know Calleigh," said Mossimo before either Jackson or Calleigh could start throwing punches. "I'm pretty sure your boss, Horatio? Is it? He left you a video message. Come with me to my office and you can take a look."

Realizing he was trying to reel her in before she went too far, she gave Jackson another look and calmly picked up her files from the table. Simon shook his head in silence as he watched her follow Mossimo down the hall, glancing at Cory in similar wonder.

"Where'd you find her?"

"We were TAs back in college. Our profs were clueless or absent-minded. We pretty much ran the physics department back then. God she was brilliant."

"What and you were a dumb rock?"

"Well, no. But it's hard to stand out when she's your competition."

"Yeah." Simon cocked his head to the side and rested it on his closed fist, giving some thought to what Cory said. "I could see that."

O-O-O

Laughter filled the kitchen as Mossimo regaled his co-workers with another story that was partly comical and partly mind boggling. Cory, Simon, Regina - the lone female on their team and former basketball star at Georgia Tech - and Calleigh had all gathered at Cory's house for dinner. They were an oddly gregarious combination, with Mossimo and Regina playing off each other like they were a comedic duo, Cory leaned back in his chair with his arm draped over Lisa's chair and Simon sitting back quietly, taking it all in. Calleigh couldn't help but clutch her stomach as Mossimo stood up and acted out a particularly ridiculous story of a trip to Peru and an accident with a goat and a taxi.

The evening was getting late and Calleigh noticed the collection of wine bottles were falling away to coffee cups and water. She watched as Lisa stood up quietly and headed up stairs, her maternal instincts most likely indicating that a little person upstairs was not too delighted with the company. The dinner party then started to wind down and the bottoms of their coffee cups started to show. Calleigh looked up and found Simon's thoughtful eyes on her, and she found herself curious as to what he was thinking. He always seemed to have his mind somewhere else. Instead, she gave him a quirky smile and he broke eye contact, as though realizing that he'd been staring.

As everyone collected their things. Regina pulled Calleigh aside and gave her a warm hug. "I'm so delighted to have you here with us. We had another girl on our crew for a while, but… well - she passed away about six months ago."

Calleigh frowned as she looked the older woman in the face, her dark brown eyes peering into Calleigh's kindly, leaving her unsure as to how she should progress.

"I'm so sorry, that must have been so hard on your team," offered Calliegh sincerely.

"We've gotten on as best as we can, but Simon, he uh, they were engaged. And now, he doesn't have anyone. Tonight's the first night I've seen him smile in a long time. Ah me, I must be going. Just wanted to say thanks for all your help, and if you ever want to get out of Miami, please come up our way!"

Calleigh smiled at the woman and waved good bye as she took her leave from her hosts. Mossimo followed soon after; while Simon stayed and helped Shirley wash the dishes.

"Cory, I'll trade you out for this young man. He knows how to scrub a pot! Mmm mmm mmm, look at that shine!"

"Nice try Shirley, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't want two little ones at the moment."

"Speak for yourself," interjected Calleigh. "Can't you imagine Simon running around the lab with a little Ashton on his shoulders?"

"He can have her and her diapers," said Lisa as she came downstairs, clearly exhausted. "I can't remember the last time we did that."

"Did what?" said Cory, slightly distracted.

"Had your team over goofball, what are you up to?"

"I was just thinking… Cal, do you still have the files with the lab results in them from earlier?"

"Sure do, I wasn't handing over everything."

"That's my girl. C'mere, I brought home a laptop from the lab. I'm pretty sure we can get some work done now if you're up to it."

"Honey, no," said Lisa with a stern voice. "It's eleven o'clock. Look at Simon over there; he's practically ready to pass out. Let's just get to bed okay?"

"He can have his couch downstairs, I'm pretty sure it looks the same way he left it," said Cory as he and Calleigh passed the files back and forth, looking over the results.

"She's right, man," said Simon in a quiet voice. "We should get some sleep. Otherwise tomorrow's going to be a lot rougher than we need it to be and I can't handle Mossimo on minimal sleep."

"Fine, go to bed, but I'm staying up," he said stubbornly. Calleigh couldn't turn him down; she wanted to stay awake just as much as he. But when she glanced up at Lisa, she knew that he should go to bed, or dire consequences would result.

"Hey uh Cory," she said carefully. "Maybe you should head on up. I'll uh put these away. I promise to not even look at them."

He finally looked up at her and then to Lisa who was shutting off the lights in the kitchen. Simon was retrieving a blanket from the closet and preparing to descend to the basement, something Calleigh figured had been a common occurrence over the past few months. He said a quiet good night and gave Lisa a kiss on the cheek before departing.

"Night Cal," said Cory begrudgingly. "Remember when we'd stay up late, thinking of impossible problems and seeing who could finish first?"

Calleigh gave him a sad smile and nodded. "If I recall correctly, you're ahead of me by one."

"Do somethin' about it," he said with a small laugh, "will ya?"

They said their goodnights and went their separate ways, he to his wife and she to a decadent bed. Empty, but ever so cozy.

O-O-O

The morning had been a free-for-all, to say the least. The F.B.I. had assimilated a group of specialists who'd decided to make their play area the break room. That wasn't to say that they didn't try to include the CSIs, but not in the way that the lab would prefer. After being at the lab for nearly two hours, Calleigh and Cory had managed to get enough information to do their own investigating. On their way out, they spotted Simon, who was emerging from some unfamiliar portion of the lab.

"Hey we're going on our own crusade, wanna join?" asked Cory as they approached Simon.

"As long as I get to navigate. Been doing some of my own researching while you two were up here. I'm pretty sure I know where to look."

"Us too."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"You, slow poke," said Calleigh with a nudge. "C'mon. We've got a deranged sociopath to capture."

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. By the time they got to where they were going, a.k.a. middle of nowhere, it was noon and nothing could be found for miles. They walked and walked, through forests and dried up meadows, over dying creek beds and under crooked trees. By the time they met up again at the truck, all three were thirsty and frustrated.

"So I've been thinking," said Simon as they each took long sips from their water bottles, "the first evidence we've ever found from this guy and it was soil. Soil from this area. Maybe it wasn't from him."

"What did our victims do? Professionally?" asked Calleigh.

"One was an architect, the wife; and the husband was a biochemical engineer."

"And you're thinking one of them may have brought this about?"

"The husband worked for Southern Nuclear, which is based two miles from here. Maybe he brought it with him somehow."

"Why don't we head over that way, see if there's evidence that he was being followed?" asked Cory as he headed towards the driver's side.

Calleigh stood there thinking, feeling like there was something not quite… right. Power plant. The wife of her the last Miami murder was a PR rep for a pharmaceutical company and the husband was a teacher; the second Miami murder was comprised of a husband and wife remodeling firm; and the first Miami murders were a car salesman and a banker.

"Calleigh?" asked Simon as he leaned out of the passenger window.

"Yeah sorry," she climbed in the back and resumed her thoughts. This was too random. There needed to be a link. Somewhere. What did the fathers of the brides do? As she tired to remember, nothing stood out. She tried think about what could get in the way of marriage.

Loss of interest. Cold feet. Loving someone else. Family… Family. That was a pretty strong factor in getting married. What if the bride's family wasn't too excited about the marriage?

"Hey Cory?"

"Yeah Blondie?"

"Theory."

"All ears."

"Do you know if the wife of your married couple had some familial issues before she got married?"

"Not from what we could tell, although the dad was kind of a jerk. Why?"

"So here's what I'm thinking… Our guy wants to get married to his girl, and they get everything arranged, all worked out, and all of a sudden, she backs out, without telling him why. What if… she did it because her family didn't want her to marry him?"

"Plausible. But why would he kill all these other kids?"

"Because they got what he didn't. The husbands had wives who were willing to get married despite their families' wishes."

"Yeah, but how would he know?"

"What's one thing you have in all weddings?"

"Wedding planner?"

"Caterer?"

"Most have some form of church official or justice-of-the-peace."

"C'mon Cory, you're the only one here who's been married," said Calleigh.

"All I had anything to do with was the…" he paused as the just realizing something. "The honeymoon."

"And did you talk to your travel agent at all?"

"Of course I did. I wasn't sure where to go, so she wanted to get an idea of what I was looking for, type of people we were, you know."

"Where was the Atlanta couple going?"

"5-day cruise in the Mediterranean."

"That's interesting," said Calleigh as she smiled at him as he glanced back in the rearview mirror. "Because I know at least two of three of my couples were also cruise bound."

"Should we still go by the plant?" asked Simon.

"Yeah, I still want to see if we can get physical evidence," said Cory.

"I think I'll call one of my boys in Miami to see if he can do some digging."

"Sounds good," said Cory as he turned into the parking lot.

Calleigh dialed Eric's number first, but it came up as busy. Her next shot was Ryan, who picked up second ring.

"Calleigh! You must return immediately. I've been stuck with Eric for days. Too much male bonding. I need your beautiful face to brighten my day!"

"Chill it out Ryan. Where's Eric?"

"He's across the hall talking to some new chick on the night crew. She's pretty good looking, I bet he's trying to score a number," babbled Ryan.

"Ryan," cut Calleigh sharply, a little too sharp, "I need you to do me a favor. Can you call Shawn Patrone's parents and see if he booked a cruise and if they may know what agency he used?"

"Sure when do you need it by?"

"Within the next fifteen minutes."

"Got it."

Calleigh hopped out of the truck feeling pretty good, except for the part where Eric ignored her call. But Ryan picked up, so she wasn't completely excommunicated. She caught up with Simon walking around the lot, heading for some trees.

"What'd you get?"

"Waiting to get called back, hopefully we can get a link to the travel agencies."

"What made you think of that?"

"What?"

"The honeymoon business."

"Before, when I was working the case with my crew in Miami, we'd only sought out links between the victims. Since they'd never made it to their actual honeymoon, it never occurred to search that far ahead. The only thing that got me thinking was actually something one of the Feds said about odd things that trigger people. He said that even serial killers, if they're good, have to have something to identify with in their victims, something to redeem them."

"So maybe the Feds do know what they're talking about?" asked Simon with a slight smile.

"Maybe," said Calleigh with a matching smile, "but they don't need to know that."

"Hey guys, over here!" motioned Cory from across the lot, near the back.

They jogged over to see what got him all excited and as soon as they saw the colored pamphlets, Calleigh knew immediately that they'd hit jackpot. There was a stack of cast off travel pamphlets from various travel agencies, but the point was there were pamphlets. All they needed to do was fingerprint them. Unfortunately, they looked aged and rained on. Perhaps they could get some trace.

"How about we finish checking out the area then get these to the lab?"

"We've got to move fast, the Feds are going to wonder where we ran off to," said Calleigh as she felt the phone at her side vibrate.

"What'd you get?"

"Patrone's parents couldn't decide, but they said it was a well known agency. And they also said that the bride-to-be's parents didn't seem too happy about the match, if that helps at all."

"Were you reading my mind or something?"

"Yeah, sure Cal. You're also thinking that I'm overwhelmingly charming."

"Ha right," said Calleigh as she smiled at him. "You keep thinking that. I gotta go. Thanks Ryan, you're the best."

They collected what they needed and headed back to the lab. Unfortunately, their absence didn't go unnoticed. By anyone.

"You three!" Mossimo spotted them first, and judging by the redness in his face he was none too happy. "In my office. NOW!"

He chewed their heads off thoroughly, and made them atone for their sins twice over. Then they gave him the news and he kissed them all on their cheeks and all was good again.

Informing the Feds was another matter entirely. Luckily, once they dropped the news, the logistics team took it and ran with it, and had the agency and three possible suspects within the hour.

"I've got to hand it to them," said Calleigh as she handed Cory a soda. "They may talk a lot of crap, but they deliver when it matters."

"Yeah, we actually get along pretty well with our local guys," said Cory. "It's the ones that come from out of town like that Jackson guy that are a problem."

"You got that right. Do you think they'll get him?"

"No doubt. They'll get him and they'll probably take most of the glory, but we'll know who figured it out."

"Yeah those four guys who sleep with their computers. At least we don't have to do the paperwork."

"C'mon Cal, you know you deserve the props," said Cory as he rubbed her shoulders.

"Right, because I was the mastermind behind _all_of this. I'll settle for just knowing that we got the guy," said Calleigh as she watched Regina walk in with an odd-looking contraption, sweat on her brow. "Goodness, that's a handful you got there."

"Yeah it's my daughter's science project. She's doing some stuff with hydrogen-fueled vehicles."

"How_old_ is she?" asked Cory, somewhat surprised.

"Excuse me," said Martha, a front desk receptionist, "Calleigh?"

"That's me," said Calleigh as she sat up in her chair.

"You have a visitor at the front desk."

"Did you get a name?" asked Calleigh, mildly cautious.

"He wouldn't offer one."

"Well, I guess I should see what's going on," said Calleigh as she stood up and followed Martha downstairs.

"Where you going?" asked Simon as he met her on a Landing.

"Apparently," stated Calleigh with curiosity, "I have a visitor."

"Interesting. I never get visitors."

"It's the accent. Always the accent," she smiled as she continued down the stairs. Simon, also interested in her visitor, followed behind and stopped at by the front desk while Calleigh continued onwards. She stopped before the gentleman that Martha pointed out, a thirty something guy with brown hair and a pair of khakis and polo shirt.

The man said a few things, then Calleigh replied, but Simon couldn't catch their conversation. He saw Calleigh turn and gesture towards their friendlier looking interrogation rooms, motioning for the man to walk with her. She threw Simon a look while she twisted the stud earring in her right ear as she passed by. Odd. She wasn't a nervous person. Based on what little he knew of Calleigh, he gathered that her 'visitor' was much more than that.

Simon dialed Cory as soon as he saw Calleigh take the first room, which was glass-plated from the waist up.

"Hey Cory, I uh, I think we have a problem."

O-O-O

Hours upon hours later, Calleigh found herself recounting the story one more time, but for a much more pleasurable audience.

"Wait, I don't get it," said Lisa as she took a long gulp from her iced tea. "He just walked in, and asked to speak with you?"

"Broad daylight and everything!" said Calleigh, equally astonished.

"Man, that takes massive cajones."

"No kidding," said Calleigh as she bit down on a tortilla chip. They were waiting on the patio outside for a celebratory dinner. The whole team was due back to Cory's house shortly; everyone had run out to get food and drinks. Lisa walked around with Ashton nestled between her shoulder and neck, while Luke sat in a corner, building multicolored Lego towers.

"So what else happened?"

"Well, he sat down and said his name was George Wilcox, and he works as a travel consultant. He had an upstart firm with a friend in Miami, and then transferred up to Atlanta so he could get deals on flights to Europe. Or, maybe it was because his ex-fiancé started working at Children's hospital as a nurse in oncology. Regardless, he was still angry, and he found a sorry target in the most recent victims."

"Were you scared?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were sitting in a room with an alleged serial killer. That didn't bother you at all?"

Calleigh thought about it, and it wasn't that it didn't bother her, but it unnerved her slightly. She seemed to be finding herself all too frequently in situations that were unpleasant, and this was up there un the list.

"A little bit," she admitted. "I was more concerned that he could be a danger to the people working nearby. It wasn't too bad, overall."

"Yeah, and now we have him in custody!" said Cory as he stepped in from the screened-in porch. "Hon, do you have anymore of that barbecue sauce you make?"

"Top shelf on the right," said Lisa as she adjusted a fidgety Ashton.

"Hey let's toast this thing and get some food in my belly!" said Cory as the rest of the crew arrived and joined them on his porch.

"To the resolution of unsolved crimes and old friends back in our lives, may the crimes pass but the friends remain!"

"Cheers!"

For one last time, Calleigh dined with this motley group of investigators and friends, and enjoyed the laughter and stories shared at the table. Glancing around, it struck her as funny that she would miss these folks, even though she'd only had a short time to get to know them. The best part was leaving them with a solved case, rather than sorrow and frustration.

O-O-O

Later that evening, Calleigh ran upstairs to grab a sweater and heard the muffled sounds of a baby crying. Assuming Ashton was awake again, she quietly strode down the hall to placate the tearful child. Picking her up carefully, Calleigh felt something within her lurch. She wasn't sure if it was her heart opening up to the possibility of motherly instincts or the realization of the fact that maybe she did like little people. Calleigh began to walk back and forth slow and steady, humming a lullaby.

"Do you want kids someday?" whispered Lisa who was resting against the doorway.

"I hadn't given it much thought," said Calleigh truthfully.

"Really? You just seem so maternal, like it's something you would never have to work hard at."

"That's funny," she replied, considering the other woman's words. "I guess I never thought it would work out for me," she looked at Lisa and could tell she didn't follow. "You know, the husband, the house, kids, a dog. I never saw myself in that role; it always seemed too normal, too … nice for me."

"It's odd for you to say that. I mean, I know we all have different childhoods and our own demons, but there has to come a time for you to say, 'enough' and put it away. Just like when you date that one guy, the rebel. Guys like that exist so we can cleanse ourselves of the unpredictable. Sure, it's alluring for a while, but it gets old. At least to me it did. The whole uncertainty about the future thing, it took its toll."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," said Calleigh, trying hard to ignore how well Lisa was verbalizing Calleigh's sentiments towards her current relationship with Jake. "What drew you to Cory then? I never thought of him as the complete opposite of a rebel."

"Don't get me wrong, Cory is hardly mister predictable. I think we always look at the good guy as being dependable and unexciting, but I've had some of my best experiences with him. We'd known each other for years before we actually realized that we had the potential for a relationship. I remember the moment when I realized that getting married and having the whole package: a house, kids and a dog seemed like a great idea as opposed to a constricting nightmare. I think once you get in the right situation, you'll be able to visualize the picture a little better."

"It's just," Calleigh paused a moment and rubbed Ashton's back who yawned a soft baby yawn, then buried her soft head in Calleigh's neck. "What if I mess it all up? What if something happens that I can't control?"

"Honey, you control a lot less than you think you do," said Shirley as she poked her head around the corner. "Having kids is more about relinquishing control than any other act imaginable. It is about love and hurt and hope and great amounts of learning. Because one thing is certain: everything you thought you knew, your child will know more. Evolution of the species my dear, evolution of the species. Now get your hind-parts to bed. You have to be up by five tomorrow and I don't want you worn out."

"We sure will, promise," said Lisa as Calleigh handed Ashton over. Calleigh watched as Shirley took off down the hallway, her mind already on something else.

"Thanks, Lisa," said Calleigh quietly as she folded up a blanket. "Cory is the luckiest man alive to have you."

"Ha, make sure you tell him that on your way to the airport tomorrow. We all forget that from time to time."

"You got that right."

Calleigh rubbed Ashton's baby fine hair once again and smiled genuinely at Lisa. "Night. I'll say goodbye before we leave."

"You better," said Lisa quietly. "Oh Calleigh?"

"Yeah?" she said from the doorway.

"When I saw you just now, holding my baby, the first thought that popped in my head was 'Damn, she looks good with my kid.' "

Calleigh chuckled to herself and smiled back at Lisa again. "I was thinking the same thing about you. Being a mom has made you even prettier."

"Night, Cal."

O-O-O

"Well, I can't believe it's over. Just like that.""Not quite the build up I was expecting either," said Calleigh as she and Cory dropped by the lab for her 10 am flight. "I thought we'd get more of a fight from him.""That's just it though; I think he was tired of fighting. No matter how hard he tried, people kept falling in love around him."

"True."

"Still, he just gave himself up, why didn't he handcuff himself and show up on our doorstep so we didn't have to work so hard?"

"I think he knew we were already on his trail," said Calleigh as she bit back a yawn, "and he'd rather have it on his own terms than ours. Looks better for him in court too."

"Either way, thanks for your help. We wouldn't have caught him without you."

"Yes you would. But it was good to get away for a change. You have a great lab up here, even with Mossimo running everything."

"Yeah, he's not so bad, once he's had a bottle of wine or so."

"Ha, right. Ready to take off?"

"Sure," said Cory as they tossed their cups in the trash. Calleigh did her rounds, saying goodbye to Regina and some of the techs. Simon didn't appear to be a work yet as they left, causing Calleigh to frown a little. She'd learned that his sister lived in Miami and wanted to extend an invitation if he ever got the chance. To no avail, she and Cory walked out to his car and smiled when she heard Mossimo making his typical loud-mouthed exit, just to bid her farewell.

"Ah, so. It is time for you to go. Had you a good time, yes?"

"A great time, I sure did, Mossimo. Thanks for being so welcoming the past three days I was here. It sure meant a lot to me."

"No, no. You were our guest. Our only goal was to make you comfortable. Please come back again when you get the chance," he said as he gave her a kiss on each cheek and waved goodbye.

"He's really not that bad," said Calleigh as they exited the lab and headed towards Hartsfield. "A little pretentious, but once you get used to his boasting he really does have some things worth saying."

"Ha, wish you could tell the higher-ups that. I've heard that Mossimo's days are numbered here."

"Really? But he's still a great CSI."

"With awful communication skills. They may keep him on, but I think they've been looking for a new supervisor."

"Why don't you go for it?"

"There's a lot of paperwork and bureaucratic B.S. involved. I'd rather be out in the field, doing my job. Plus, that'd be valuable time spent away from my family, and I'd much rather change diapers than fill out performance evals."

"True. Those can get tedious. There's always a fine line between constructive criticism and old-fashioned revenge.""Spoken like someone who knows."

"Eh, I've filled in a couple times for our boss down in Miami. It's more of a juggling act than anything else. Luckily it seems like your people don't attract nearly as much trouble as mine do."

"The only one we have to watch out for is Simon, but he hasn't been like that for months. Sometimes I think he's a little too passionate for this job, if that makes any sense."

"Makes perfect sense. I think there's one like him in every lab."

They continued talking for the remainder of the trip until Cory slowly pulled into the Departures drop-off. She could tell he looked sad to see her go, he lacked a solid friendship at the lab and found one in her. They certainly made a good team. Almost as good as she and Eric. But she wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

"Take care of yourself Calleigh, and please, don't be a stranger. I think my wife wants to adopt you as a sister."

"Tell her the feeling is mutual. I had a great time Cory. Make sure you send me those photos, I'll never speak to you again if you don't."

"Yes ma'am," he bent down and gave her a tight hug and pulled away with a smile.

"Let me know when you get in town, so I don't have to worry."

"Will do," and with that she gave him a final wave and headed towards the automatic doors. She heard Cory climb into his car and stopped when he called her name out one last time.

"Calleigh?" he called through the rolled down passenger window.

"Yeah?"

"I'm nominating you to be our super, just so you know," he said with a smirk and a goofy laugh, so she couldn't tell if he was serious or not. Going along with his joke she replied in a like manner.

"Right, and when I get that call, I'll be sure to point some fingers. Take care Cory," she said one last time and walked inside to check in for her flight.

As she queued behind throngs of fellow travelers, she happened to look over and notice that the next departing flight was one for Denver… Her youngest brother, James, lived outside Denver.

As the line crept along, she was struck by how long it had been since she'd seen him. It must have been nearly three years. What was another day and a half away from work? Why shouldn't she just pop in and visit? It was holding true to her new frame of mind lately. What with the spontaneity and all.

Before she could change her mind she'd left the masses from her line and walked over to the soon-to-close Denver line, where two people remained. Luckily, she had an open ticket to return from Atlanta. She'd just book that trip while she was up there if she could get on the Denver flight.

O-O-O-O-O

The special ring designated for his one and only sister stopped him in his tracks as he was leaving Wild Oats. Probably bad, considering he was in the middle of the street. Waving off a disgruntled mother in a minivan, he continued walking to his car, slightly befuddled. It's not like he wasn't close to his sister. He was, it's just, she had specific days she called and this was not one of them.

"Cal, you alright?"

"Of course, yes, sure. I'm fine. It's just…"

He could practically picture her squirming on the other line. He was patient, but not patient enough to wait out Calleigh. She could withhold information better than top-level NSA agents.

"Come on Calleigh, I don't have all day."

"What uh, what are you doing this weekend?"

"Well, tonight, not much. Tomorrow evening we've got the symphony, but that's the highlight. Why?"

"Do you think you could get another ticket to the symphony?"

"Wait." Second time that day he halted walking. "What?"

"Here's the deal. I'm trying this new spontaneous thing, you know, take my chances while I have them. And I've been in Atlanta for the past few days and I'm supposed to head back to Miami. Well, I'm standing here in the airport and the opportunity presented itself for me to fly out your way. So, my question dear brother, would it be alright if I visited for a couple days?"

He stood there in thought for a few moments. Either something was wrong and she wanted to tell him in person, or… something was wrong and she wanted to tell him in person. How could he turn her down?

"Of course. Just give me your info so I'll know when to pick you up."

As she read out the information and they ended the conversation, he could tell she'd already bought the tickets. Rather assumptive, eh? Regardless, the weekend looked a whole lot brighter. Calleigh was coming…

Unfortunately, it took 45 minutes to get to the airport from where he lived. That and his house could use some tidying. And he still needed to pick up the ring from the jewelers.

O-O-O

Jameson Duquesne, or James, was nervous. His most favorite person in the world was supposed to walk through those gates in less than ten minutes and he was nervous. Why was he nervous? Was he nervous or just overwhelmingly excited? He settled for the latter.

He hadn't seen her in about three years, not since they all met in Savannah after a Hurricane hit the south. Otherwise, they had their weekly conversations, sometimes five minutes, others lasting hours. And that was why she was his favorite. She was his confidant, his breathless laughing buddy, his defender, his source of wisdom in times of need. He liked to think the relationship went both ways, too.

Ah, they've started to disembark. He stood on his tip toes to peer over all the average height people leaving the security area, searching for a short blonde woman. And there she was, looking cool and calm as she peered into the crowd, searching for him as he did her. He waited for her eyes to rest on his, and then smiled as her face lit up with one of those smiles that warmed him from the inside out.

She didn't run over to him, but she walked over with an obvious bounce in her step, looking delighted and excited. He reached down and hugged her tightly around the waist, lifting her up in the air as she strengthened her hold around his shoulders. He breathed her in and memories flooded his brain – winning baseball games, coming home from college, thanksgiving dinners…

"I've missed you," she whispered quietly, so quiet the words could get lost in the airport cacophony.

"Now's not the time for missing," he said with a grin as he lowered her down to the ground, stepping back enough so they could get a good look at each other.

"Not sure about that," she said as she motioned to his goatee. Like Calleigh, his hair was blonde, but more strawberry blonde. Unfortunately, his chin was having an identity crisis and thought its hair should be red.

"What, it doesn't make me look more rugged?"

"Rugged wasn't the word I was thinking, but sure, if you want to look rugged, then so be it," she placated.

"Let's grab your bags," he said as he motioned towards the baggage carousel. "You didn't bring your whole closet this time, did you?"

"No!" she huffed. "Only half of it thank you very much."

"Close enough," he smiled, watching her as she walked to the baggage carousel and retrieved her luggage. She looked the same; a little too much make-up as is the Miami style perhaps, but otherwise it was his Calleigh.

"So where to?" she asked as she watched him take her bag from her, an act of chivalry on his part and an act of femininity on hers.

"I'll take you by my house first so we can drop of your stuff and let you freshen up, then I'll show you around and you can run errands with me."

"Sounds good."

A car ride marked by animated conversation brought them to his house forty-five minutes later. It was his pride and joy, something he'd been designing since childhood; however, the slides and basketball hoops had been replaced with a large front deck and hammock. Professionally, he was an architect that designed environmentally friendly buildings. He had a fledgling company with two other guys who were also his best friends.

The house was quite dynamic, with a large deck/porch in the front and lots of glass and odd shaped internal thermal panels on the roof for solar energy. The deck gave a fantastic view of the valley down below, something he'd wanted immediately upon finding the land. The entrance was on the second level where the kitchen, living area, small office, and guest room were located. A grand staircase led to downstairs where his bedroom, second guest room and home theatre were located. The best part of the house, he thought, was the roof terrace, where a hot tub and small herb garden drew frequent visits.

"Wow," Calleigh exclaimed as she exited his S.U.V. looking at his house. "This is wonderful James, really, it's great."

She remarked on his landscaping and magnificent view as they walked towards his door which unlocked with his thumbprint scanner (he had a habit of forgetting his keys which necessitated the installation of the device).

Stepping inside, she appeared to be just as amazed until he heard the loud steps of his roommate, who had quickly located Calleigh and proceeded to topple her over and hover over her in interest, sniffing and licking at intervals. His roommate being a curious 120 pound great dane named Bintu.

"Bintu! Down," he admonished, motioning for her to get off his sister. If it weren't so funny, it'd be sad that his dog was bigger than Calleigh.

He bent down to help Calleigh get up, who was still lying on the floor, somewhat shell-shocked by having the traditional Bintu welcome.

"When did you get a horse?" Calleigh asked, somewhat breathless from having the wind knocked out of her.

"Bintu isn't a horse. She's my baby," Bintu walked over and sat on her hind quarters next to him like a dutiful child. "Yes, good girl. Anyway, she's still a puppy. Only had her about 14 months. Jawara named her. Means beautiful one." Jawara was one of James' best friends and had moved from Senegal when he was sixteen in order to attend college, where he roomed in a suite with James their first year.

Once Calleigh was on solid ground again she found that the horse-dog's head came up to her upper abdomen when she was bare-footed. This was rather unsettling. The dog had light clear slivery-blue eyes and a great black spot on the left side of her face. Her coat was gray with matching black splotches randomly assorted on her back. Most notable were her black feet, all but her hind right foot which was still gray. It gave the appearance that the poor dog was missing a sock.

Tail wagging excitedly, Bintu followed her master and the new good smelling human into the guest room where Calleigh's luggage was placed. Calleigh kept finding herself distracted by Beeno, or whatever her name was. Who buys a farm animal and keeps it in their house? James. He's the one who brought home a toad and kept it in the bathtub for weeks until their mom found out.

"We have to swing by work real quick, I need to pick up some orders and drop them off before I can officially be off the clock for the weekend. Plus, Jawara would kill me if I didn't bring you by."

"How is he? Is he still playing basketball?"

"Sure is. He's the best guy on their team. There's a tournament in Sacramento this weekend and he won't stop talking plays with me. I think he was an NBA player in a former life."

Jawara was paralyzed from the waist-down. A freak skydiving accident a few years back landed him in the wheelchair, but he was the type to roll with the punches. As soon as he learned of a competitive basketball team for wheelchair bound folks, he took up with it and hadn't stopped since.

Calleigh pulled out a sweater from her bag, figuring she'd need it by day's end. It didn't look like they'd be home anytime soon and she didn't want to freeze to death once the sun went down. She ran a brush through her hair and brushed her teeth, then met her James, who was on the phone, in the living area.

"Sure will. What type? Yeah don't worry she eats everything. She used to be able to out-eat me. No kidding. I have to go too. See you soon, bye."

"Jordan?"

"Of course. She was planning on making dinner tonight, but then I told her you were coming and she completely changed plans."

"Oh, no. Honestly, I'm fine. I'll eat whatever."

"Right. Jordan would prefer to make a good first-impression and she does it best by leaving a lasting one on your stomach."

"Is that how she got you?"

"No, but that's another story."

"Which I still haven't heard, now that you mention it," she smiled as they walked out to his car and climbed in.

"All in due time, all in due time," he replied as they headed towards his office. "So, we swing by the office, say hi, run around a bit more then come back here for dinner?"

"It's up to you," said Calleigh as she brushed her hair behind her ears. "I'm just along for the ride."

And away they went.

O-O-O

Just as Calleigh predicted, the temperature dropped a bit once the sun began to drop behind the Rockies. Although it wasn't frigid by any means, it chilled Calleigh's warm-blooded body, provoking the donning of her black sweater to go with her jeans.

James had introduced her to some of his new officemates, many of whom had been added on in the past two years as their business had grown considerably. She received a hearty hug from Jawara, and a shy wink from Marty, James' other partner and good friend. They were to see Marty later that night after dinner at a local pub.

Pulling into the driveway, Calleigh spotted a green mini cooper parked to the side. Glancing around, she realized that another vehicle she longed to see was not there.

"Where's Talulah?"

"I was wondering when you'd ask," he said with a smile. "We'll bring her out later, don't worry."

"She can be brought? Out?"

"Of course. I didn't spend half my life putting her together for nothing."

"You? I'm pretty sure you had help," she replied smartly as they got out of the car and walked towards the house. Fortunately, Calleigh was prepared for the horse this time.

"Yeah, that's all a technicality. Now Cal," James stood in front of her before opening the door, effectively blocking the way. "I need you to not scare her away. She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met, though she's kinda shy at first. I want her to stay around, for the rest of my life, actually. So treat her like my girlfriend, and not like a suspect."

Looking appropriately indignant, Calleigh was about to rebut when the door opened, revealing Jordan with Binto right behind her. The first thing that struck Calleigh was her eyes, coffee brown, sharp and incredibly perceptive, like she could read you in a heartbeat.

"Hi!" she replied quickly, brushing her auburn hair behind her ears, as she opened the door wider. She looked exactly like that chick from Law and Order. What was her name? Angie Harmon? Yes, this was her twin. Smells of culinary delight wafted through the door and Calleigh's stomach responded with a grumble. "Sorry, I thought it was Luke, his dad's supposed to drop him off soon."

As Bintu pushed her way through the door and began exploring outside, the appropriate introductions were made and Calleigh picked up a bit of an accent on Jordan. Sounded like Texas? Angie Harmon could use her for a stunt double if Jordan dyed her hair darker.

"I hope y'all are hungry, we've got a random assortment tonight. I didn't have that much time after I got off work."

"I'll eat chocolate-covered rocks, I'm starving," said Calleigh as she walked through the door behind James who gave Jordan a quick kiss on the lips as he walked by.

"I don't know if James told you, but watch out for Bintu. She's a leaner."

"What?"

"Oh," smiled Jordan enigmatically, "you'll see."

"So what's for dinner? And when's Luke coming?" James took out the plates and set the table for four, while Jordan returned to the stove,

"Chicken marsala, roasted asparagus and salad. Soon. He's only here for dinner tonight. I think he's staying at Troy's house. He's undoubtedly going to try to sneak out again."

"Sorry, who's Luke?"

Everything stilled and Calleigh knew once she asked, she'd made a mistake. Jordan shot James a look that bordered on incredulity and consternation. Shaking her head, Jordan whispered 'unbelievable' and stirred the skillet a little more, putting the lid on top when she was satisfied. Turning to face Calleigh, she placed her hand on the counter and gave her what Calleigh took to be an angry smile.

"Luke," she said with a pause, "is my 13-year-old son. I got pregnant when I was 16, and his dad didn't want to get married, so we promised to stay close to each other and raise him together. Which we've done quite well, I must say. I'm going to assume this has never come up in conversation?"

"Actually, no, now that you mention it, I've heard about Luke, just not how you two were related," said Calleigh, trying to cover somewhat for her idiot brother. "He plays soccer, right?"

James gave her a smile and mouthed 'thank you' while a kinder smile graced Jordan's face. It was true though, James had mentioned Luke, but Calleigh had never thought enough to ask and James had never given the explanation.

Luckily the awkward silence was broken by the opening of the front door and the frantic scurry of Bintu who went forward to greet Luke then rush outside to bark at a dangerous rock with James in pursuit. In came a lanky teenager, with dark eyes and long eyelashes like his mother, but sandy hair which she assumed was from his father. He dropped his backpack and smiled at Calleigh upon seeing her.

"You're James' sister aren't you?"

"Yes?" how'd he know that?

"He's got pictures of you in his office where I do my homework. I like the one of you putting him in a headlock."

Calleigh smiled at the memory of the photo. She still found herself standing across from this young man and wasn't sure what to say. First thing that popped in her head sounded appropriate.

"I take it he didn't have the one from when I accidentally gave him a black eye?"

"What? No way," disbelief was evident.

"And this is where I intervene," said James as he ushered Bintu in from outside. "Calleigh, this is Luke, Jordan's son," he said the last part with emphasis, earning an appropriate huff from Jordan in the corner. She turned around with two wine glasses.

"Calleigh, would you like a glass of wine or would you prefer water?"

"Wine would be lovely," said Calleigh as they grabbed their plates and approached the stove.

"Mom, you know I don't like this stuff. Where's the carrots?" asked Luke huffily.

"You ate the last of the carrots for lunch," she said with a sigh. "Chill out, there's salad. You'll fill your daily quota of healthy food, don't worry."

"Luke is on a healthy food kick," whispered James as he explained to Calleigh the unusual boy. "His soccer coach for his travel team gave them a list of foods they should and should not eat and said it would improve their performance out on the field. Which, hey, if it'll get miracle-gro over here to eat healthy food, then fine with me."

"Stop calling me miracle-gro," Luke said bashfully. He took his seat next to his mom's chair and waited for everyone to join him at the table.

"Luke has grown seven inches since Christmas," offered Jordan, as she poured her and Calleigh a glass of wine. "Hence the miracle gro. I don't know if I can afford to keep you in clothes any more. Maybe you should just go to school in a nice trash bag."

"Right. I'll do that when you stop buying 150 dollar shoes."

As they finally sat down, Calleigh picked up her fork to eat, but paused when James began saying grace. She couldn't help but look up at him with surprise, then remembered how involved in church he was. It was all baffling to her at times.

"Amen," they all said as he finished, and Calleigh smiled at her brother while he dished salad into bowls which got passed around the table. She noted that he was not drinking wine, something that didn't surprise her in the slightest.

James' full name was Jamison. Like the whiskey. Something he wasn't particularly proud of, considering his father, drunk from celebrating his birth, decided it would be funny to name his son after his favorite drink at the time. Calleigh's mom had been resting and never got a say as her husband filled out the forms, assuring the hospital that she approved of the name. During their childhood James had come to despise the crutch that his father tended to lean upon when times got rough. He'd never touched alcohol and figured his life wasn't lacking in any way, so he never bothered to pick it up at that point.

It also didn't help that his older brother was an alcoholic either. But that's another story…

The rest of the evening was spent casually rehashing childhood stories and laughing until their stomachs ached. Hours later as Calleigh found herself sitting in an overgrown armchair next to Jordan and James on the couch; she was once again struck by the warm feeling of joy in her heart. Being near family and friends that past few days had been good for her, almost emphasizing what she seemed to lack in Miami.

O-O-O

Saturday morning came all too soon as Calleigh yawned endlessly, feeling the rays of midday sun peeking through the wooden blinds. The bed was beyond comfortable, which was fantastic considering she'd stayed up 'til 330 talking with James after Jordan left. They had the pleasant opportunity of catching up on each other, mainly the parts of life that seemed to get filtered out on the telephone. The only thing he was familiar with were her newfound sleeping problems. These prompted many a late-night call to him, being two hours behind, making James capable of talking her into a state appropriate for bedtime.

Stretching slowly, Calleigh climbed out of bed and changed into some running clothes, preparing to go on a trail run with James. He was already waiting for her in the kitchen, tying his shoes tightly and giving her a wary look.

"You sure you're up for this? It ain't no treadmill."

"Oh shove it Jamie. Stop stalling and let's go."

At first he delighted in jumping off small boulders and tree logs, trying to frustrate Calleigh. And though it worked a little, for she was unfamiliar with the terrain, she proved a worthy adversary and kept up with him. He abated after a while and sought steady conversation with her as they took in their surroundings during their jog.

"So… uh, since you've arrived, you've neglected to mention if you're dating anyone. I'm assuming from this that you're currently single?"

Calleigh bit her lip. None of the men in her family seemed to like Jake, which she couldn't find fault with. She just hoped that she could get out of this mess without James getting all holier than thou. Her hesitation was growing on evasiveness which would prompt more bullying. _Oh screw it_, she thought.

"Actually, I just returned from a trip with my uh, boyfriend," it sounded so odd to call Jake her boyfriend. "We just went to Antigua on a cruise last week."

"And who is this mysterious man who has stolen your heart?"

"Ha not so quick there on the heart-stealing," replied Calleigh quickly, a little to quickly. "You know him, or knew him, a while ago."

She glanced over and saw the befuddled look on James' face. Sighing she just came out with it.

"It's Jake, okay? Jake dropped the ATF and joined the police department as a homicide detective."

"You have got to be kidding me," said James, disbelief bordering on irritation was evident in his voice. "Calleigh, I can't…"

"What James, you 'can't' what? Understand why I would date him again? He's a decent guy and he's not into the same stuff he was back then. He's different now."

James remained quiet, but she noticed a quickening in his pace. Soon he was a good hundred meters ahead of her and just by the way his shoulders tensed she could tell he was trying not to have an infamous Duquesne blow-up. When they were younger, all three children were known for taking after their mother in most respects, but their father in temper. Even though James was the most sweet-natured of the three, his infrequent blow-ups were slow-building and always noteworthy in gravity.

She decided to let him run ahead while she took her time reaching the summit. A few minutes later and she came up behind him, his fingers clasped tight behind his head as he walked back and forth, looking out off the cliff. His face wasn't too red anymore and he seemed a bit calmer, which boded well for her. Glancing over at her and taking a deep breath, he finally unleashed his thoughts that had been compiling over the mere day since she'd arrived.

"What are you doing Calleigh? You're back with Jake, you blow off work to come out here, and you can't sleep. Don't get me wrong. I love that you're here, you know that, but something is going on with you and maybe you aren't sure what it is yet. The fact is, you need to face the reality of the situation. Jake is not good for you, he never was and no matter what you hope, he is not the one for you. Work has always been something that's driven you. Seeing as you don't enjoy it as much is a problem, one that you need to figure out. If it's your job, the actual work that you don't like anymore, then get a new job and do it now, rather than later. If it's the people, well maybe you need to move. "

"Where the hell do you get off saying that?" Calleigh stood there, her indignation growing by the second. "I came out here because I haven't seen you in three years! I had the opportunity to get away for a while, and I figured, why not? You accuse me of being in a wrong relationship? You can't even tell me that your girlfriend, who is wonderful by the way, has a 13-year-old son. Me, James. If anything you should be proud of the fact, because he is a great kid. But it seems like you aren't in the right place now if you can't even be upfront about something so important."

"For the record, it only occurred to me once that I should tell you. Second of all, a lot of the problem was that you just showed up this weekend out of nowhere and I had little chance to give you a heads up. So if you want the truth, yes it was an inconvenience for you to just pop in. And to set things straight, I'm asking Jordan to marry me tonight after her performance because she is that special and wonderful and I love her. So please, save your sanctimonious B.S. for someone who cares."

They stood in silence for a moment, breathing deeply and looking at each other with a 'deer in the headlights' look'. Marriage? Her baby brother, the one who made a pact with her to never get married when she was 14 and he was 11, was actually going through with it. She was… astonished… awestruck…speechless. She finally stepped away and placed her hands on her hips, still trying to control her breathing. It gave her a moment to finally take in the view that their destination afforded them.

There was a lake down below, crystal blue water and smooth as glass. A crane took off in the distance, hovering over the lake before pulling upwards, its reflection mirroring its every action. She closed her eyes as she felt the blood pounding in her ears, her heart beat stubbornly working its way down. Feeling her brother come up beside her she glanced at him quickly and returned her gaze outward. She didn't know what to say. There was no counsel to offer at this moment.

"You really want to go through with it, Jamie? The forever contract?"

When they were younger and the thought of being married frightened them, James dubbed it 'the forever contract' so they wouldn't even have to mention the word. They'd had several philosophical debates on the issue of marriage, especially when he was still at home dealing with the fallout of the divorce and she was away at school.

"Ha, yes. The 'forever contract'," he looked at her with a grin. "It's not nearly as frightening as I thought it would be. When I was younger, I never thought it was possible to find someone that you could remain interested in and care about for the rest of your life. But now? I don't even want to think of a world without Jordan and Luke in it. They mean so much to me, that the idea of not knowing them, not having her as someone to go through life with and experience every joy and sorrow is overwhelmingly frightening."

Calleigh felt the sting of tears in her eyes as a cool gust of wind blew up the face of the cliff they were standing on. James had always been much more in tune with his emotions than she. He tended to be her barometer for feelings that she couldn't manage to access. Somewhere along the way she lost the ability to fully open up like him, like most people. And for the most part, she was okay with that. It was times like this, when he expressed so much emotion with words that she wasn't even sure she was capable of feeling that strongly about anyone.

"That's it then," she said with a sad smile, happy for him, but sorry for herself. "You're going to do something I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do, and I am proud of you. You're proof that our childhood didn't permanently damage us."

"Yeah but still, you made it better for me and Tommy, I know that and so does he, in his own way. We're all fully functional people, a little stilted in areas, but nothing too awful. I mean, we all lived through it. There's no reason that we can't live our lives like we want."

"Got that right."

"Though, I haven't eaten a grilled cheese sandwich or had tomato soup in probably 15 years," he said with a soft elbow in her side. She slapped him playfully in the arm, recalling that grilled cheese and tomato soup was her dinner of choice whenever she was in charge, which was quite often.

"You know he's not right for you," James said quietly as he kicked at a small rock in the ground, reminding her of a similar conversation they'd had nearly ten years prior. Even then as a 19 year old, he knew her better than she knew herself. "He's selfish and rude. His attitude is obnoxious and he never treated you the way you ought to be treated. Maybe you're in it for the sex, I don't know, but this relationship is just going to get deeper and deeper and before long you won't see daylight and it'll be hell trying to bounce back because he is not in it for the long-term. He is not that kind of guy."

Calleigh took in his kindly intended words and tried to digest them, but it wasn't something she wanted to hear. James had never thought any man was good enough for her, so she found it difficult to consider him a valid testament to her taste in men. Sometimes it amazed her at how much he reminded her of Eric, the things he said and the way he acted at times. Then she quickly halted that train of thought. Eric had made it clear before she left that he was disappointed in her and could not stand her presence. Comforting, really.

She remained silent and continued to survey her surroundings, absorbing all the view had to offer. It was such a pleasant change from the typical bikini-clad sun worshippers and overpriced mansions that littered the landscape. James continued to walk around the summit, listening closely for sounds of animal activity and other unwelcoming visitors.

"I think… I think there's a part of me that wants to be happy, to be head-over-heels for someone. But there's a bigger part of me that is too afraid to take that step."

"Why? Calleigh, you can't treat every relationship as if it'll end up like mom and dad's. They were two completely messed up people who needed to separate and go their own way. Mama's a new woman, dad's on his way, thanks to you. But you need to live your own life, Cal. If you know what you want, and this ain't it, then make the change. Nothin's holding you back. "

She stood there and listened to his words, knowing he was right. She just didn't want to admit it. She knew in her heart what she needed to do; it was simply willing the rest of herself to do the dirty work. Looking over at him as he raised his arms behind his head and clasped his fingers, she wondered when he became the voice of reason in the family. Calleigh could remember hours spent with him on the phone or in person, espousing advice and wisdom over a lost game or unrequited love. Now the tables were turned. He checked his watch and turned to look at her, giving her a soft smile.

"Ready to head back? We need to get all prettied up for tonight."

"I was born ready," she said as she patted him in the stomach and took off like a rabbit. "Last one back has to buy dinner!"

O-O-O

For not being such a fan of classical music, Calleigh found herself pleasantly surprised. The symphony was amazing. Sitting next to an enraptured James and somewhat entertained Luke caused Calleigh to wonder when Jordan had the time to practice her viola when she had so much else to do, but Calleigh figured Jordan was that breed of human who never needed to sleep.

As they rode towards their dinner destination, her companion in the backseat seemed to be more concerned with his stomach than anything else. She watched as Luke tried to get comfortable with his legs clearly too long to be in the backseat. She stifled a laugh as she watched him huff and sigh as he gave up his endeavor, merely folding his hands around his lanky legs.

Her curiosity was entirely sparked with where they were dining that evening. When he said they were dining at 'The Secret Garden', Calleigh couldn't help but laugh. Could he have chosen a more cheesy sounding location? But after the performance she understood his choice. They'd pulled up to an older looking cottage style house that was flanked on both sides by 10 feet high bushes, spanning about 100 meters on both sides. Following Luke, who was trying to act gallant by holding the door for his mom and Calleigh, she entered the small cottage and was led down a surprisingly modern looking hallway to the back patio.

Calleigh could hardly withhold her amazement at what she saw. The patio, which contained five small tables, overlooked a larger garden holding the same amount of tables. What Calleigh found interesting was the maze that led to the garden and the four small private gardens that could also be accessed from the maze.

"Wow, James, this is…wow."

"I know, see that one?" he asked as he pointed to a distant private garden off to the side. "That's our table."

"We should probably use the restroom while we're here," said Jordan sensibly.

"Great idea," acknowledged Calleigh as she followed the taller woman to the ladies room. "Did you know we were coming here?"

"Sort of," said Jordan with a smile. "This is a hard place to get into, you have to book months in advance and do crazy things, like offer your first-born for a private garden," Jordan rolled her eyes as she touched up her make-up quickly while Calleigh fixed her hair.

"Then how did James gets us in?"

"Oh it wasn't James that did it. The maestro? He co-owns this restaurant with his brother. Every year one of the musicians gets this as a gift for hard-work and essential sucking up. This time I managed to swallow my pride and help out a bit. Turns out el Maestro was interested in doing an addition to his house, and James offered his expertise."

They joined Luke and James on the patio and followed the host through the maze to their table, Calleigh paying close attention to the turns they took. The host brought them to an intersection of four paths and said good luck, leaving them to find the entrance into their particular garden.

"Are you serious? He's just going to leave us?" asked Luke.

"How else would it be secret if everyone knew how to get into the garden?"

"But this is crazy. This is for girls," he said as he pushed through the shrubs like the others, looking for the door. Men want their steak and a giant grill, not some frilly flowers and a wooden door."

"Aha!" exclaimed Jordan, who managed to find a handle among the vines and shrubbery. As she pushed the door open Calleigh heard her gasp in delight. Luke followed and made a sound equal to hers. Calleigh entered before James and couldn't help but find the whole garden absolutely gorgeous.

It was small, with a large weeping willow to the side with vines clinging to its trunk. Flowers of every variety grew in an assorted array along the stone path which had light green moss growing in the cracks. The table was intricately carved mahogany, with large candles in the center and a basket of warm, freshly baked bread in the center. A heat lamp stood nearby like a sentinel, guarding the guests with constant warmth.

"It's for girls huh?" smirked James as Luke sat on one side of the table, clearly intrigued by his surroundings.

"Well, kinda," he offered halfheartedly as he grabbed a piece of bread from the basket.

"I for one think it's wonderful, and thank you for letting me come here this evening with y'all," said Calleigh as she smiled at her brother, knowing he must be nervous beyond compare.

Just then their server appeared from some other entrance that was hard to discern and presented them with menus and the wine list. An intense debate ensued over what to eat, but all made their choices to their satisfaction. Conversation and laughter flowed easily throughout their meal, Calleigh finding her company increasingly pleasant as the evening wore on.

She began to wonder if James was going to propose in front of her and Luke. It would be slightly awkward in front of her and Luke, although Luke seemed to enjoy James' growing anxiety. But as they made their dessert orders and Calleigh looked between James and Jordan, she could almost feel the connection they shared; the mutual care and delight they took in one another. That recurring stab of despair crossed her again as she wondered if she'd ever have that, her mind quickly forgetting that she had Jake.

"Hey James can we get chocolate cake? Maybe this apple thing?" asked Luke, who'd clearly become bored with waiting for James to pop the question.

"What about the cheesecake?" asked Jordan. "You love cheesecake."

"I refuse to eat that flowery looking cheesecake, ew, it even has real flowers in it. No way," he made the face of someone who'd tried to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon and Calleigh couldn't help but laugh.

"Actually, no, I was thinking," said James as he smiled at Calleigh over his menu, then glanced to Jordan, "I was thinking that maybe I should ask your mom to marry me instead."

Jordan's head snapped up to James' and her brow was raised, as what tends to happen when one is caught off guard. Calleigh smiled as realization came over Jordan's features, first confusion and then understanding, and then another realization that she should say something.

"That uh, that's not on this menu anywhere," she offered with a nervous laugh.

By that point James had turned his chair and had actually gotten on one knee before Jordan, both of his hands on hers. She looked fidgety and slightly afraid, like she didn't enjoy the attention at that moment.

"Jordan, ah, I'msonotgoodatthis," he bent his head down and took a deep breath, looking at her with tears in his eyes. Her gaze was fixed on him, completely enraptured by his actions. "Jordan, I love you. I never thought I would be in this position, wanting to spend the rest of my life with someone. But when I think about us, I can't imagine a life where we aren't together. And I don't want to. You are one of the strongest, most sincere, most intelligent people I've ever met. I love your quirks and your moods and I appreciate your patience. But what I love best is when you look at your boy with this wholehearted, unconditional love for him and smile and say 'nothing' when he asks when something is wrong," he paused and wiped a tear from her cheek that had broken loose. "I want the arguments and the mess, I want the love and laughter, and I want the bad singing and your morning hair. I want it forever," his voice had gotten low and soft, "will you marry me?"

By that point Calleigh had given up trying to be unaffected and dotted her eyes with her napkin before her mascara began to run. Even Luke was trying to look like he wasn't touched by the words James spoke. Jordan whispered her reply and James leapt up and kissed her, wrapping her into a hug.

"If you guys keep that up, me and the blond are leaving," said Luke in an attempt to augment the ensuing love-fest.

"Oh leave them alone. If you do it right, you only do this once, so let them have their moment."

Thus the evening ended on a positive note, with Jordan volunteering Luke to make breakfast for them all the following morning before Calleigh left for Miami. After dropping Luke and Jordan off at their house, James sighed the happy sigh of an engaged man, and settled into his seat for the short ride back.

"How does it feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"To know that despite your annoying habit of quoting movies as they are on, or how you never seem to empty the dishwasher, or that you can't stomach the sight of blood, that none of these things has caused Jordan to drop you like a burnt penny and head for the hills."

"You mean, 'how does it feel to be in love an engaged?"

"Sure, that too."

"Comforting. Amazing. Wonderful."

"Long or short engagement?"

"We've only talked briefly about it, but it'll be short. Probably early in the spring."

"I plan on seeing you before then, don't worry."

"Oh you better, Cal."

They drove back to his house where they changed clothes and made some hot chocolate. Hours of conversation ensued, ranging from their middle brother and his family, to Calleigh's rough summer and her hopes for a smooth ending to it all. The wee hours of the morning brought forth renewed yawns and they ushered themselves to bed.

O-O-O

Breakfast had been eventful, to say the least. Luke made waffles but neglected to turn the iron off when he finished, causing the fire alarm to go off and the kitchen to fill with smoke.

"Well, it's been real," said James as he stood across from Calleigh at the departures terminal.

"Yes. Yes it has. Thanks for putting up with me the last couple of days. I had a great time."

"Hey, drop in anytime, and I'll let you know about the details on the wedding. Call when you get in to Miami."

"I will, I promise."

She stood on her tiptoes and hugged him tightly remembering the boy smell he used to have and realizing it was now a man smell. One last squeeze and he whispered into her ear, "Call me anytime, day or night. You know what you need to do, make it happen."

She pulled back from him and gave him a smile, thinking it was funny how the tides had changed and he was the one now offering her advice. She waved him off and prepared for the arduous day-long journey before her.

O-O-O

That evening Calleigh dropped by the office on her way home from the airport. Her mailbox was packed with interoffice mail and dumb notes that Ryan left in her box. She smiled at a frantic looking post it that Natalia had given her detailing the events of an apparently awful day. It was funny, for as many rookie mistakes as Natalia made, she was still a good investigator, and Calleigh couldn't find fault with that.

At the bottom of the stack was a note that had been scribbled out and then rewritten, folded once or twice as though it wasn't fully intended to be in the box. She squinted at the chicken scratch, smiling at the familiarity of the simple words.

_Need someone to talk sense around here. Come back. Now. – E_

Funny he'd written that. Perhaps it was a moment of insanity. She wasn't expecting their relations to be too friendly the following day, especially if last week was anything to go off of. Regardless, he'd get over whatever was bothering him soon enough and then he'd be her friend again. That's how it worked with them and that's how she wanted it to be.

At least… that's what she thought.

O-O-O

A/N: I know, this chapter was gargantuan. Trust me, it took months to write and convince myself that I wasn't totally mutilating Calleigh. But she needed this smack on top of the head and a chance to grow from the past few weeks. Thanks for reading all, let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter 155

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 15.5: 16

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Raising Caine

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Annie, Kate and Jeff are all mine.

A/N: This is a bit of a filler chapter that sets us up for the finale. It's getting Calleigh ready for the big light bulb moment. Enjoy it.

O-O-O-O-O

Monday. Oh how she hated Mondays. She was heading off for a quick lunch with her dad when she finally ran into Eric in the parking lot. He looked… different. Good, but different.

"Hey!" she said a little too enthusiastically.

"Hey yourself," he said as he pulled equipment out of the hummer. "Heading off to lunch with your dad?"

"You know my schedule better than I do," she smiled as she squinted into the sunlight, having forgotten her sunglasses.

"It's hard to forget when you've been doing it for months."

He didn't seem too interested in talking to her, especially since he hadn't made eye contact with her yet. That would have to change soon enough; they both had a case together and needed to meet up later.

"I'll give you a call once I get back, so we can head over to the Lone Shark."

"Yeah," monosyllabic. Was he fourteen? "See you."

Calleigh sighed loudly as she walked away. Oh he'd see her all right. See her and a beat down if he didn't let up soon.

Eric watched her walk away, attitude in her step that made him break into a small smile. Her hair literally glowed as it blew in the breeze, capturing sunlight at the tips of her hair and spreading like fire to the crown of her head. Even when he didn't want to be around her she made him hurt, just a little, simply by being her.

It was one of those remarkably clear days with little haze in the air, making everything just a bit sharper. Eric had decided that he would remain as professional as possible around Calleigh and treat her as any nameless, faceless coworker. The problem was that it was Calleigh. She'd notice his behavior within moments and call him out on it.

Which is exactly what happened a few hours later after she'd returned from lunch and they'd ridden in near silence to the Lone Shark, she decided to address his attitude.

"Okay, what's your deal?"

"Nothin'. Let's just get in there and get out, I want to get off at a decent time today."

"So this is how it's going to be?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he pushed open the door to the bar, holding it open for her to pass.

"Give me a break," she rebutted as one of the on-scene detectives came over to give them an update. After he finished the two broke apart to go interview respective parties, unspoken ease settling into their work despite the increasing tension between the two.

As Calleigh spoke with the manager of the bar about the fatal brawl that occurred the night before, she caught sight of Eric talking with the bar tender. Eric was perched up on the bar as though asking for a drink and perhaps her number, looking up at her with a little bit of flirtation in his eyes.

She had no idea why it bothered her just then, why his methods were just now starting to get to her. She felt her face flush a little and looked away, telling herself it was common for she and Eric to acquire information that way and there was no need to get riled up about it.

Resuming her questioning, she moved on to the bouncer who looked like he should still be in high school. Getting nothing useful from him except that he heard a 'strange sound around the corner' she moved on to her next suspect. In the process she noticed Eric still hanging out at the bar, watching the young woman with interest as she spun the bottles around quickly, putting on a little show of sorts.

Calleigh's eyes rolled so hard she almost gave herself a headache. Unfortunately, Calleigh also found herself mesmerized by the woman's bottle-acrobatics and held her breath as each bottle twirled perilously in the air certain to meet a fateful death, only to be clutched from the depths by a nimble set of fingers. Amazing.

When she finished, Calleigh almost clapped, but remembering her place, she walked up on the other side of the bar and complimented the woman on her little show.

"Ah, that's nothin'," she said with a hint of a New York accent. "Come to my show Saturday night, that's where the real action is."

"Show?"

"Yeah, there's going to be a competition down at the harbor Saturday night."

Calleigh was confused and trying hard not to laugh.

"I think my partner is curious as to what kind of competition you're talking about," said Eric, shooting Calleigh a withering look.

"Flair Bartending, officer," she said as she drew a soapy rag over the counter, cleaning up nothing in particular. Giving them both a look, she pulled out a card and laid it on the counter in front of Eric. "Listen, it's been swell, but I have to bring in a new shipment."

"No problem," said Calleigh sweetly. "Thanks for the preview."

As the bar tender walked away Calleigh finally allowed herself the chance to laugh as she walked over to Eric and carefully slid the card into an envelope. Watching her, Eric sighed.

"I doubt she did anything, says she was up here all night, entertaining," said Eric as he mocked the woman.

"Oh yeah, that was entertaining all right."

Eric detected a little something in her voice but didn't push it. He didn't want to open any doors to unwanted conversation. They continued collecting their evidence quietly and methodically, rarely even pausing to see what the other was doing.

Calleigh's phone rang and she turned to answer it, walking outside the club where it was a bit quieter. Eric caught her pacing back and forth as she tended to do when she was on the phone. He frowned, realizing he was still watching her as she ended her conversation.

Not long after her call, they collected their evidence and climbed into the hummer. As they ushered themselves back to the lab at the request of their fearless leader, he detected a subtle change in Calleigh, a quietness that wasn't there before. Biting back a question, he drove on in silence, not wanting to implore further discussion where he sought none. Her thoughts were clearly elsewhere and as he stole a glance at her at a red light, he saw that she was miles away, head in the clouds. He couldn't help but wonder what she as thinking, what was going on in that head of hers.

If only he knew that she was pondering how best to break up with Jake, he might have been somewhat pleased at her thoughts. That evening, long after she'd clocked out, she met Jake for a coffee and a straight-shooting conversation in which they laid their cards out on the table. Though neither left happy, both new it was for the best when Calleigh said that perhaps they should 'lay their relationship to rest and pursue other endeavors.' Not once did Jake mention Eric or any other man, nor did Calleigh mention any women, though both new the possibility existed that 'other endeavors' didn't just apply to their careers.

O-O-O

Late that night, Eric arrived home from a fun evening out with his girl, Kate. Climbing out of his car he spotted a dark object sitting upon the welcome mat on his front patio. Walking closer, he discovered a bag of coffee, his favorite, and a small coffee cup sitting next to it with a note attached.

_There's a conversation that goes with this, but I'll let you figure that part out._

-Cal

Trademark Calleigh. Passive/Aggressive to the max.

Grabbing the bag and the cup, he brought them inside and set the items on his counter to be contemplated at a different time. He'd just had a great night with Kate, a quiet evening at her place where she'd made a fantastic dinner and they followed it up with a bit of dancing on her balcony. It was an easy relationship, one that was natural and at which he didn't have to work hard. It as a nice change from the many others in his life recently, and he was enjoying it.

Nearly an hour after climbing into bed, Eric found that sleep eluded him and he fought hard not to tease out the reason why. Try as he might, he knew he was going to have to face Calleigh sooner or later. She would either force him into talking to her or let it drop and do their relationship irrevocable harm. Thinking about it now, he wasn't sure he'd like working in the lab without Calleigh as his friend, where she treated him as merely another person when she was so warm and friendly to nearly everyone else with whom they worked.

He decided to take her up on the coffee, but on his own terms, and definitely with a stronger Cuban blend.

As he drifted off to sleep soon after, Eric didn't pause to give thought to how easily sleep came to him when his conscience was settled.

O-O-O

Calleigh leaned back against the wall in the firearms lab, hands perched at her side. It was late, far too late for any self respecting person to be at the lab, but she was a woman on a mission. It was Wednesday after she'd returned, and she had yet to speak with Eric, a fact that was growing heavy on her mind. He made no acknowledgement of having received her subtle peace-offering, which degraded her efforts severely.

Save for James, no one knew that she'd broken up with Jake. However, it seemed that the world had moved on in her absence and Eric had met someone finally. She'd learned the prior morning through Ryan that Eric was dating a teacher, who was cute and smart and liked to tease him for his floral shirts. This explained his very basic wardrobe as of late.

Eric's newfound love interest didn't bother her too much. In fact, she was glad, because it brought them into safer territory. She held true to her belief that they would work best as friends, and as long as someone else was in the picture especially on his side, then she needn't worry about any sentimental business clouding up their friendship.

Some friendship it was though. Eric only spoke to her when it was with regards to a case and even then it was minimal contact. She'd given up Tuesday afternoon trying to break him down and decided to let him wallow in his own pool of simmering anger for a few more days before she would call him out on it.

Currently, though, it was not a pressing matter as she stood quietly with her head against the wall, counting the beats of her heart. Bringing her head back down and focusing her eyes on the table before her, she sought out her once beloved firearm - her Kimber compact 45 caliber semi automatic. She'd just spent an hour cleaning it beyond perfection, difficult since Ryan had already cleaned it as an act of kindness.

When finished, she set it upon the granite countertop and took a step back, reconciling herself to the fact that sooner or later, she was going to have to wear it again. Unfortunately, every time she looked at it she still had the same image of Will holding it tightly in his fingers, squeezing the trigger and brain matter spewing in all directions.

No one knew about her reservations. About her inability to hold a gun in her hand without cringing, hating the cool metal and the loud sounds it emitted. She hadn't much cared for them since John killed himself not five feet from where she currently stood. But now, simply being around them made her shake uncomfortably.

Taking a deep breath and stretching her neck from side to side as though she were about to compete in an endless race, she approached the table where her gun lay and picked up the earphones sitting beside it, placing them on her head. Glancing upward to where her target was hanging at the end of the small range, her eyes expertly picked out the silhouette floating a mere thirty yards away.

Without hesitating, she picked up the gun and fired until she expelled the contents of her clip, each shot more accurate than the first, all finding a home resting in the center of the head of the target. Sliding the empty clip out and placing it on the table, she placed her gun down beside it and pulled off the earphones.

She took another breath to steady herself, ignoring the lone tear that escaped as she took another step back, distancing herself from the gun and her target. _Not yet_. She thought to herself. _Not yet_.

As she turned out the lights and headed toward the locker room, she neglected to notice the red head stationed at the end of the hall, watching Calleigh face her demons alone.

O-O-O

The following morning started out bad and only got worse for poor Calleigh. It was only 11 am and she had four cases piling up and no end in sight. She was certain that she and Eric could close their Lone shark case before lunch if only he'd get back to her in a reasonable time.

Only problem was Eric was overly cross with her for some reason and she was too tired of his attitude to even bother to ask. It had gotten to the point that she would drag her heels whenever she even had to call him, knowing that he was going to be his same disagreeable self.

Walking by reception, she stopped at the front desk to chat with Lorraine, the oldest fixture in the establishment. The woman was the rumor mill and should probably be working UC than the front desk because she knew what was happening before it even occurred. Currently she was chatting away like always, mouth moving a mile a minute. Glancing up at Calleigh she gave her a warm smile that made her feel like home.

"Oh honey, aren't you tired yet? You need to take a break. Come here and relax a bit, chat with me and this fine young lady over here."

Calleigh glanced from the bespectacled Lorraine to a little girl not more than 7 years old. Her light brown hair pinned back with a single barrette fell down her back in large curls, and her pale blue eyes shone with cleverness and a bit of mischief. As Calleigh approached the girl she flashed Calleigh a smile showing that she'd lost some teeth recently and was in need of a left incisor and a bottom front tooth.

"Who's your friend here Lorraine?" asked Calleigh as she sat next to the girl.

"Ask her yourself," said Lorraine with a chuckle. "She'll tell you that and teach you a thing or two."

"I'm Maggie De Santos."

"Nice to meet you Maggie, my name's Calleigh. What are you doing over here at the police station?"

"My mommy and I are having lunch with my uncle. She said it was for fun, but I assume they have to talk business," she said in a tone more fitting of an adult.

"What grade are you in?"

"Second. Although I think I'll suggest that I go straight to fourth grade, because we really aren't doing anything now, and I heard not much else happens next year."

"Oh nonsense," said Calleigh as she patted the not-so-young girl on the leg. "You learn how to write in cursive, and you start learning your times tables. Those are hard enough."

"I already know my times tables. My grandpa taught them to me."

"Your grandpa is a smart man then," said Calleigh as she smiled at this precocious girl. "What do you want to be when you grow up then?"

The girl smiled and prepared for her answer, turning to Calleigh officially and holding her hands out as though they were a time-line.

"First, I want to go to college, preferably an Ivy, then to Harvard for Law school where I want to specialize in international law. I'd do that for a few years then I'd like to run for local office. Then I'll run for senate and hold on for two or three terms, get some international experience in and then be my party's representative for president."

Calleigh sat there, somewhat speechless, wondering if this was Doogie Hauser in disguise. How does one follow that up?

"You've got a lot of work to do," said Calleigh, very seriously believing that the future of the country was sitting before her. "What do you do for fun?"

"I love to read. Right now I'm learning about FDR, though I still think Lincoln is my favorite. My mommy tries to get me to play with dolls but I don't think Barbie has much on her mind."

Calleigh smiled at the young girl and felt a little befuddled. She hadn't minded dolls when she was younger. She didn't even have a clue who FDR was until middle school.

Fortunately a woman, presumably Maggie's mother, walked up in time to save Calleigh from floundering.

"Maggie, you aren't bothering these ladies are you?" she asked as she glanced at the ladies apologetically.

"Of course not mommy, I was just explaining to Ms. Calleigh about what I like to do."

"Sorry," said the woman, same pale blue eyes as Maggie, but her hair was a lighter shade of brown and stick straight. She was pretty, but not in a traditional sense. Her features were more angular but not too severe, and her skin had a smooth, fine complexion. Calleigh found herself wondering where the 'De Santos' came in. "Maggie gets carried away sometimes. Is she still going to be president someday?"

"Oh yes, this is after you finance her way through Harvard," replied Calleigh with a smile.

"Right, before that, she was going to be an astronaut. I blame her cousin for that. He runs around all the time in this orange space suit that his uncle got him."

"Sounds like you have a lot of excitement in your life," said Calleigh with a small frown, noticing once again that she was lacking in the area of family.

"Too much," said the mom, "too much some times. Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Aleksandra De Santos."

"Calleigh Duquesne, nice to meet you. Who is it you're looking for? Perhaps I can go get them for you."

"Don't worry about it, he's coming right now," said Aleksandra. Just then Maggie hopped off the bench and finally acted her age as she ran jubilantly down the hallway. Calleigh's view was obscured by the large receptionist desk, leaving her peeking around the corner for a look.

"Mag-pie!" said a familiar voice. "I think you've gotten taller since the weekend. How's that tooth?"

"Excellent. I got mommy to invest my tooth-fairy money. My teeth need to fall out faster."

"Not too fast, or you'll be walking around toothless, sounding like granny De," said Eric as he approached Calleigh and Aleksandra, holding Maggie in his arms.

"Eric, meet my new friend, Ms. Calleigh," said Maggie, unaware of her uncle and Calleigh's relationship.

Eric glanced over at Calleigh and she saw the crossness he previously exhibited leave his eyes. He couldn't be mad at her in front of family, that was just plain impolite.

"Oh silly, I work with Calleigh."

"Ah you are _that_ Calleigh!" exclaimed Aleksandra. She seemed to be trying to puzzle out how she knew Calleigh. "Eric talks about his co-workers all the time, but we never know what they look like. It's nice to put a face with a name."

Aleksandra smiled at the younger woman, neglecting to mention that Calleigh's name came up more frequently than any other person's. Observing the woman more carefully, she could easily see why Eric talked about her so much.

"I do what I can," said Calleigh with a friendly smile. "So Eric, where are you taking these fine ladies on this lovely morning?"

"We are going over to McGrady's to grab some lunch. I'm trying to talk my kind and loving sister into letting me borrow her boat this weekend. "

Calleigh smiled as Aleksandra rolled her eyes at Eric, clearly not sold on the prospect of having Eric in possession of anything she owned.

"The last time I let him borrow something, it came back shaved and sleepy."

"Oh please, Ben needed a hair cut, and he should have been sleepy, I kept him busy the whole day."

"My four-year-old had gorgeous ringlets before you chopped them off!"

"He looked like a girl!"

They began to banter back and forth in Russian, leaving Maggie and Calleigh to look at each other confusedly.

"They do that all the time. My papi hates it. He can't speak a word of Russian."

"Can you?"

"I don't like the way it sounds, but grandpa is teaching me Russian too."

"The same grandpa who taught you the times tables?"

"Yeah, he likes to teach me stuff. He wants me to go into science."

"Calleigh, would you like to join us for lunch?" asked Aleksandra abruptly as she broke from bickering with Eric in Russian to speak with Calleigh. "Eric is picking up the bill so you might as well get some free food out of the deal."

Catching the look in Eric's eyes, Calleigh was about to turn her down. He could handle brief interludes, but apparently he was not ready for a full meal with her yet. She'd rather say her goodbyes than suffer through an hour of his thinly veiled hostility.

"Oh yes, please join us!" said Maggie as she clapped her hands together expectantly. Eric, so far gone for his niece, relented immediately. If Maggie liked her, then he couldn't say no. Maggie was an excellent judge of character in his book. He caught Calleigh looking at him for permission, and with a careless shrug, he gave in.

McGrady's was a lunch pub across the street from the lab that served most every officer in the county at some point in time during the day. It wasn't anything special, but they had great burgers and no smoking. Eric and his ladies walked into the pub and nodded at Sammy, the owner of the pub, and headed toward a corner booth.

Eric, knowing Calleigh loved sitting in the corner, automatically sat opposite her in order to save her from Maggie, who sat beside him. He loved her to death, but people unfamiliar with her found her to be a bit overwhelming. He'd rather Calleigh think her cute as opposed to a nuisance.

Conversation flowed readily as the adults and bright 7-year-old enjoyed their meal. Calleigh couldn't help but be fascinated by Maggie, she carried conversation so easily.

"So what do you want our boat for anyway?" asked Aleksandra.

"You know my rudder is shot. I just wanted to take Kate out this weekend, get some dive time in and all. It's supposed to be gorgeous."

Calleigh felt Eric's eyes flick on her after he'd said this, curious as to whether the mention of Kate would get a response out of her.

"Right, Kate. The teacher. You gonna bring her around on Sunday?" asked Aleksandra curiously. It was a big deal, her little brother actually mentioning a woman and not being afraid of it. She figured he was getting ready to settle down and was in the process of looking for that special someone. She just wasn't prepared for it to be happening so quickly.

Sitting next to Calleigh, who was leaning forward talking conspiringly with Maggie, Aleksandra was afforded a view of Calleigh's splotchy red neck. She took this as a sign that despite all calm appearances, Calleigh was very much aware of what Eric was talking about and her body was giving her away.

"Not so fast, Alé, I know what you're up to," said Eric as he wagged a finger at her. "I am not about to freak her out by bringing her to one of our Sunday dinners. That's more family than even I can handle."

"Aw, we'd be on perfect behavior."

"Let's see if she survives diving first. Maybe in a few weeks," said Eric as he continued talking to Aleksandra, trying hard to not let his gaze fall a few inches to Calleigh, who was still bent forward talking with Maggie.

"You know, I used to want to be an astronaut. I wanted to do it for most of my life actually. I never told anybody that before, so keep it a secret," Calleigh whispered across to Maggie.

"Oh I promise. Why didn't you do it then? It looks like it'd be great fun."

"Well, you have to be very smart to be an astronaut, but you know that. When it came time for me to decide what to do, I had other things going on in my life, and being an astronaut wasn't an option," said Calleigh, a trace of sadness in her voice.

"Can't you still try? You're not that old," said Maggie as she perched her chin on her closed fist, very serious.

Calleigh couldn't help but laugh, remembering at that age that anything over 21 was old to her. She must look ancient to Maggie. Her laughter caught the attention of Eric and Aleksandra.

"Why thank you Maggie, I'll keep that in mind."

"What do you do now though? Are you the same as Eric or are you higher than him?"

"Oh I'm definitely higher than him," said Calleigh with a twinkle in her eye as she caught his look.

"She most certainly is not, Maggie. Don't listen to a word she says, she's just pulling your leg."

"I don't know Eric, she's been perfectly honest so far, are you just afraid to admit that Ms. Calleigh is smarter than you?"

At that all three adults laughed and Calleigh clasped her hands over her mouth, shaking her head.

"Oh no, Maggie. Eric is very smart. Too smart, even. He's one of the most intelligent people I've ever met," said Calleigh sincerely, garnering a shy smile from Eric. Aleksandra rolled her eyes at this but agreed. Eric was very bright.

"She's right you know, Maggie. Eric was near the top of his class when he graduated school. Grandpa fought very hard to get Eric to work for him, but Eric decided to serve his community, much like you want to do."

"Yeah, but he has a gun. I don't like guns."

"That's for my safety Mag-Pie. I would never use it to intentionally harm someone."

"Ms. Calleigh do you have a gun?"

Calleigh, who'd been focused more on how Eric was handling the shady situation, was put on the spot with the attention turned on her. She blinked one at Maggie, then glanced down. Eric saw her hesitate but wasn't sure what to do.

"Yes I do."

"Where is it? Eric always has his on. It's so big!"

"It's back at the office, it's in the process of getting cleaned," Calleigh fibbed, but hoped Maggie would move on.

"I hope you're careful with it, Ms. Calleigh. My teacher says guns are very dangerous."

"Your teacher is right," said Calleigh. Seeing this as an opportunity to change the topic she pursued lighter subjects. "Does your teacher think you should skip third grade?"

"Sometimes. But Sister Morris always says, 'Lord help me I don't know what to do with you child.' But I think she does and God won't let her."

Another round of laughter ensued and Calleigh looked over at Aleksandra as if she could silently thank her for bringing Maggie into the world. Conversation carried on, sprinkled with laughter and teasing. Calleigh felt her heart grow warm as she sat with the three of them, just as it had the previous weekend with her brother. Her smile faltered a bit and she felt a little homesick for James.

Eric caught her frown and bent his head a bit and caught her gaze giving her a mock frown-face that caused her to smile wryly at him. She caught sight of a clock hanging above the bar behind him and realized with great sadness that they had used up far more than their allotted lunch time. She motioned to the clock with her head and Eric followed her gaze.

"Oh, yikes," Eric said as he dropped some bills on the table and kissed Maggie on the head. "Maggie, I love you girl. Be good for your mommy and ask her about the day she pushed Aunt Mari into the lake. It's a great story."

Eric glanced at his sister with a smirk and said goodbye, motioning for Calleigh to follow him out.

"It was so nice to meet y'all," said Calleigh with a smile that would make a blind man fall in love. "Maggie, if you ever get bored with Eric, tell him to drop you off at my place and we can hang out."

"Oh that would be lovely! Promise?"

"Yes ma'am," said Calleigh. "Aleksandra, pleasure. Please don't be a stranger."

Aleksandra gave her a knowing smile. Was the woman blind? She had ten bucks that said Calleigh would be joining them for Sunday dinner before the summer's end. Oh she had to call her sister Isabel and tell her about the best lunch she'd had in a long time. Isa would be so jealous! She'd finally met the elusive Calleigh and she far exceeded any expectations she ever had. Judging by the glowing Maggie, she'd fit in just fine with the family… all of it.

"Sorry to beat it so fast, but Maggie is awful with goodbyes," said Eric as he held the door open for Calleigh, as she walked out into the harsh light.

"Really? I don't care, can I keep her?" said Calleigh shamelessly.

"Ha, you couldn't handle her. She's great in small doses, but honestly, I have no idea how Alé puts up with her. She lucked out with Ben though. He's the most even-tempered kid I've ever met."

"Where's Ben?"

"He's at my parent's house. Since Maggie is at a year-round school, it throws off scheduling a bit. Ma takes Ben and Tony on Tuesdays and Thursdays along with Isabel's kids."

"Tony is their brother?"

"Yes, he is Ben's twin brother. Tony is developmentally challenged, which creates a handful for Aleksandra."

"Understandably so. And Isabel is the one who is pregnant again?"

"Yes, with her fourth."

"My my, your parent's house must be lively in the afternoons."

"Kinda. My Ma loves it. She has all these young and impressionable minds to mold and spoil. It's like Christmas every time they're around."

"Sounds wonderful."

"At times, yes. Other times, you can't hear yourself think straight."

"I have to say though, if you hadn't told me Aleksandra was your sister, I'd have had no idea."

"Yeah, we get that a lot. Aleksandra and Isabel look more like my dad, while Marisol and I took after my Ma. Well, mostly. I have my dad's nose."

"I see. So your family is a testament to Mendel, then."

"Each and every day."

She smiled at him as they walked back, both chatting like they hadn't just been on non-speaking terms less than a few hours prior.

"Eric, I wanted to thank you for lunch, I just realized that I've been a little homesick for my brother ever since I got back. But I had a good time; your sister is a riot."

"Of course she was funny, she had a ready and willing audience. You should see her and her husband, Paul, they'll keep you in stitches."

"You held your own, I was definitely impressed," said Calleigh as she patted him on the shoulder. Eric shook his head at her as they walked into the lab, where both their minds slowly returned to their still open case. He waved bye to Calleigh as they headed their respective directions, him promising to meet up with her in an hour to close their case and move on to other matters.

Despite the coolness of the lab, Eric still felt warm, felt undeniably… giddy. It was funny, whenever he'd been worried about bringing a girl home when he was younger to meet his family, he'd always used one of his sisters first, just as an icebreaker. Naturally it was Marisol, being closest in age and less intimidating than his two older sisters. When all was said and done, Aleksandra was probably the worst, while Isabel just made her mind up on the spot and treated the girl from then on according to her first inclination.

Maybe because Calleigh was only his friend; or that Calleigh didn't feel like she was on an interview, that it went so well. He wouldn't have worried about Calleigh anyway; she was tough and witty and could handle his crazy sisters. Not like it mattered though, the one who really needed to impress was Kate. But he'd take her by in about a month or so, when he was sure she could handle the entire Delko family.

O-O-O

It was late again. Far too late for her to be at the lab.

What's a single girl to do on a Thursday night when she's hydrophobic and lives near the water, is afraid of guns but loves the comfort she derives from them?

She sighed to herself. She really was becoming a little too neurotic. Calleigh had retreated to her desk to get some paperwork done after her nightly session with her former weapon. She was getting better; still, it provoked the same excruciating images in her mind every time she pulled the trigger. What was worse was other images were floating in as well. Images of John, of the small amount of people she'd actually chosen to kill as opposed to seriously wound.

Her conscience hung heavy about her as she scribbled away, her mind in ten places at once and none of them able to gain enough attention to be satisfied. Currently, she was puzzling over the case she'd spent most of her afternoon on, one that she and Natalia picked up together. At first, it looked pretty simple, but after going to the scene and investigating a bit, she knew this was nothing to toss aside.

As great as lunch had been, especially for her and Eric, it took out two rather important hours of her day. This in turn, threw everything else off track. Not like it mattered much, lunch had been worth it. She knew for a fact that she could have easily been friends with Aleksandra even if she never knew Eric. Aleksandra had this affable quality about her, where no matter what life threw at her, she'd take it in stride and find someway to laugh about it later.

Calleigh sighed loudly as she leaned back in her chair and tossed her pen on the table, wishing she could just… float away. Her trip had done nothing but cause more trouble for her, because she'd changed in the past two weeks but her life had not. Being with Cory and James reminded her of old ambitions and dreams she used to have. Coming back to Miami only seemed to emphasize much of what she'd grown tired of, and unfortunately, she saw no end in sight. Perhaps in a few weeks she'd be able to resolve her new perspective for a life that wasn't going to change any time soon.

Brushing her hands over her face she leaned forward once again and started to write, but stopped when she heard sounds down the hall. It was almost ten at night. Who on earth would be traipsing about, laughing carelessly at the lab?

She stood up and peeked around the edge of the doorframe where a small woman was waiting down at the end of the hall taking her high-heeled shoes off. She was laughing at something her companion said from within the room she was standing in front of. Calleigh rolled her eyes and shook her head, knowing that if she were in a better mood, she'd be able to at least chuckle.

She would have were it not Eric who exited the room at the end of the hall. He was carrying a briefcase in one hand and picked up the woman in the other, his hand wrapping tightly around her waist as he lifted her off her feet. Laughter ensued and Calleigh found herself dumbstruck, privy to a semi-private scene between Eric and the woman whom she took to be Kate. Just before they kissed, Calleigh stepped back into the safety of the office, sitting down quickly in her chair and turning back to her paperwork.

The sounds of the happy-go-lucky pair soon fell away, but Calleigh sat for a few moments, staring at the super organized pegboard behind her computer. Kate wasn't just cute. She was adorable. She was that girl every guy wanted to take home and protect from the harshness of the world. Her hair was a rich brown color, curly and short. She was petite like Calleigh, but a little smoother, less muscular perhaps. Kate had a wonderful laugh, Calleigh admitted, it was light and airy. She was perfect for Eric.

Good for him. Calleigh thought honestly, while ignoring that awful pang in her gut as her mind tried to tell the rest of her that it was good for Eric to finally have someone to go home to. Someone to make him happy and to make everything better. Someone who was… not Calleigh. Ugh. Why did she care? She told him how she felt. And she stuck by that belief. They would be much, much better as friends.

_Friends_.

Then why did that word sound so hollow?

O-O-O

It was the following afternoon and Calleigh's mood was the complete opposite as it was the evening before. She'd done a lot of soul searching the previous night and had decided a couple things for herself that made life not seem so miserable.

First thing: she did like her job. There was this feeling of gratification she got when justice prevailed. It was cliché and cheeky, but she loved it.

Second thing: she wanted a family. She wasn't in a rush. But she was pretty certain that she could handle the thought of commitment now. Every time she thought about little Ashton or crazy Tyler or Luke, she felt like a part of her life was missing. She wanted to be loved like moms got loved. And she wanted to be loved the way wives got loved.

Third thing: she was going to have to start wearing her gun. It was a fact of life. Regardless of whether it gave her the shakes and that she still had those awful images, she could not have an officer trailing her every time she went on scene. It was getting a little old. And people were starting to ask uncomfortable questions.

Fourth thing: she needed sleeping pills. She was flat-out exhausted.

As Calleigh walked swiftly down the hallway towards DNA, she ran into Natalia and not only decided on what direction they should take the case on Monday, but what they were doing later that night. Ryan had come up with the grand idea that they should hang out for the evening. Having no other plans than doing some much needed laundry, Calleigh agreed.

Valera came bouncing down the hallway with a small box in tow. She had a bright smile on her face and Calleigh couldn't help but be suspicious.

"If there is anything meowing or barking in that box I don't want to see it," said Calleigh as Valera stopped before her.

"Girl, when's the last time you saw a dog fit into a box this size?"

"Never, but you only get that smile when you have fresh gossip or little animals are near. And since I haven't heard or seen anything exciting lately, I will assume there are cute fluffy things within."

"Nice try, but this is actually for you."

Calleigh cocked her head to the side and gave Valera a curious look. She wasn't expecting any packages. With her luck lately, maybe she should get hazmat down there before she opened it up.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" asked Valera. Calleigh frowned. She hated opening things when she didn't know what was inside. It could be something embarrassing or something incredibly boring.

"Is there a letter that goes along with it?"

"Are you serious?" asked Ryan as he walked up behind her. "Max, give me the box, never fear Calleigh, I'll save you."

"Ha, that is not what I'm worried about," said Calleigh as she tried to pry the box away from Ryan who continued to evude her. Spotting Eric coming down the hallway, he tossed the box to an unsuspecting recipient.

"Eric," warned Calleigh dangerously. "If you know what is good for yourself, you will hand over that box immediately."

Eric held the box high in the air, smiling as Calleigh marched over to him menacingly, her cheeks flushed and her eyes full of southern fire. His breath caught in his throat then, he never understood how easy it was to forget how beautiful she was. Turning away quickly, he held the box in the air and a smile on the face.

"What'll you give me for it?"

"How about what _won't_ I give you for it?" she said treacherously as an echo of 'oooos' followed.

"You don't even know what's in here. It could be a book for all you care."

"I at least have the right to figure that out. I could have you arrested for tampering with my mail!"

Eric stopped and turned, rolling his eyes at her. He approached her quickly and stopped close, too close before her, to where she had to lean back in order to see his face. Instead of acting affected, which is what he was aiming for; she simply grabbed his arm and pulled it down, prying the box from his fingers. Turning to walk down the hallway with her hard-fought prize, she was stopped by a hand lightly clutching her wrist.

"Not so fast," said Eric. "You've gotten all of us curious. We want to know what's inside."

"It's for me to know and for you to never find out."

"Aw c'mon Calleigh," said Valera. "I'm pretty sure Loraine scanned it through the x-ray machine so we can just ask her."

"Goodness gracious," said Calleigh with a huff. She set the package on the table in the break room and pulled her utility knife from her belt, carefully slicing open the book-sized box. Peering inside, all she saw was a card and bubble wrap. Confused, she picked up the card and slid her finger beneath the opening, noting the fine quality of the paper and the thickness within.

Everyone watched silently as Calleigh's eyes flew across the card, a smile growing on her face as she reached its end. She tucked the card away in its envelope and pulled up on the bubble-wrap, revealing a plaque and something else beneath it.

"What is it already?" said Ryan, impatience overwhelming him.

"I uh, I was just made a Fellow in the AAFA, and here's my plaque," she said shyly as she held it up. Eric smiled at her and quickly wrapped her into a congratulatory embrace that caused the others to follow suit.

"That's great Cal!" said Ryan as he examined the plaque in his hands. "That settles it then, we at least have a reason to be going out tonight. We must celebrate Calleigh and her awesomeness."

"How about we go out and celebrate, but just for the sake of being done with this week?" said Calleigh, none too willing to be celebrated for a stupid paper.

"Oh come on, you worked hard on this massive piece of - " Valera popped Ryan over the head before he could finish his words.

"Wait, when did we decide we were going out?" asked Eric, clearly unaware that his evening was being planned for him.

"About ten minutes ago. It'll just be dinner. Nothing too long and drawn out."

"Yeah we wouldn't want to keep you from… other activities," said Valera mischievously.

"I actually didn't have anything planned tonight," said Eric as he gave Valera a look.

"Trouble in paradise, sailor?" asked Ryan as the group quickly moved off of Calleigh's box and onto Eric's love-life. The latter wasn't too willing to share the details of his relationship, especially with Calleigh around. It just didn't feel… right, for some odd reason.

"No, no trouble. She already had plans with some girlfriends and we're spending all day together tomorrow."

"Ooo, sounds serious," said Valera as she nudged Calleigh in the shoulder. Realizing she'd been unusually quiet, Calleigh covered up her silence with a kindly meant smirk at Eric and a jibe.

"Yes yes, very serious. When are you meeting her parents?"

"You think you're soooo funny, don't you?" asked Eric, who evaded the question.

"Oh, I know I'm funny, I don't need your assurances," said Calleigh as she gathered her box and prepared to exit, heading to her desk.

"Cal, meet us at 7 at Dominicos. Three dollar Margaritas!"

"Sounds good. I'm going to be out with Horatio 'til then, so if you need me, give me a call."

"No prob. Make sure you bring Horatio tonight!" called Valera as Calleigh walked down the hall.

"Deal."

O-O-O

They all squished themselves into a round booth in the corner, Calleigh stuck in the middle beside Ryan and Valera, smiling at the energy both emitted. It was infectious, the way they jumped around from topic to topic, Valera going one direction while Ryan went another. After the second round of margaritas the conversation was rolling smoothly as tongues loosened a bit.

Calleigh decided to back out of the second round, choosing to take water instead. She hadn't had much to eat all day and preferred not to make a memorable evening by acting a light weight. Especially since Dominicos was known for its potent mixed drinks.

"Woah woah woah," said Ryan as he leaned across the table to Natalia. "You never said you were dating anyone! Who is he?"

A faint blush graced Natalia's cheeks and she chose to evade the question by deflecting to Calleigh rather quickly.

"He's kind and polite and that's all you need to know! But I was curious, Calleigh, you never told us how the past few weeks have been, especially since you jumped right into work and everything."

Calleigh took the question in stride though she hadn't a clue of how to sum it all up.

"Well, most notably, my youngest brother got engaged while I was out in Colorado."

"Congratulations!" a chorus flew around the table. "When's the wedding?"

"Late spring?" said Calleigh tentatively. James and Jordan alternated calling her with details so often that she didn't even know when her birthday was anymore. "They know they want it to be a short engagement, so basically they just have to get everything booked."

"Are you going to be in the wedding?" asked Eric, from the other side of Valera.

"Yes, I tried to talk James into letting me be a groomsman, but they insist on getting me into a dress."

"Careful, don't want to show up the bride," said Ryan with a grin. "I mean, imagine if all of you fine ladies were dressed up right now. This would be the hottest corner in all of Miami, and I would be in the middle of it."

Everyone laughed at his remark, the ladies rolling their eyes while Ryan puffed out his chest like a rooster, looking tough. Mixed conversations picked up around the table while Valera leaned over and whispered to Calleigh.

"How was Antigua?"

"Oh uh, it was nice. We were on a boat full of old people, but you know, it was pretty casual."

Eric glanced over from his conversation with Horatio, somewhat able to pick up on what Valera and Calleigh were talking about. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Calleigh about her trip since she returned which was mainly his fault. Still, the nature of his conversation with Horatio was such that he had to break away from eavesdropping and focus his attention on his boss.

"Let me rephrase that," said Valera a little more mischievously, "how was your luxurious trip with your bad-ass boyfriend?"

Calleigh smiled and rolled her eyes. She knew rumors had circulated around the lab after she left that she and Jake were together. It was only natural to assume after she disappeared at the same time as the detective.

"We had a great time, got to learn a lot about ourselves, sort things out a bit. Can't deny the greatness of lying on a beach for hours with umbrella drinks."

"I agree completely," said Valera, not prodding much further. "I believe that everyone should go on a cruise at least once a year, sort of as an annual act of mind, body, and soul rehabilitation."

"You got my vote."

"Hey guys," said Natalia as she leaned over Ryan. "You like jazz?"

Both ladies shrugged. "If it's good, I'm always down," said Valera.

"That's what she said," blurted Ryan as he chuckled to himself.

Ignoring him, Calleigh nodded, saying, "I did go to school in New Orleans, so it has to be pretty amazing to leave an impression."

"Oh trust me, this kid is going to go big someday. I heard him last week at the Blue Light Grill. Plays the trumpet, and he's got a friend with a sax and another on the piano. I think his opening set is around 10."

The ladies and Ryan agreed, and further plans were set. Conversation carried on merrily and casually, with Calleigh and bantering good-naturedly with Ryan over something that happened over a month ago. At some point in time Valera had to hop up and use the restroom, causing Eric to slide in next to Calleigh.

She smiled at him and he reciprocated, nudging her in the shoulder affectionately. They were sitting close, but weren't touching. Regardless, Calleigh could distinctly feel his body heat, the way she was careful not to brush against him when she crossed her leg, stupid things she wouldn't have noticed if Valera were still next to her.

"I was thinking I could put that coffee cup to use Sunday afternoon, if you're free," said Eric quietly as he looked back at her, his arms perched on the table casually.

"For you," she said with a bright smile, his smile, "I'd move a mountain. Or something of comparative size."

He grinned at her response and leaned back against the booth, their shoulders touching softly. He was pleasantly buzzed, enjoying himself and his crazy co-workers. Horatio had just finished telling him about a case he'd worked in New York and the repercussions it had that still followed him. Eric scratched his head and sighed, sad that the man seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders sometimes.

"What're you thinking about?" said Calleigh quietly as she glanced up at Eric. She saw a frown grace his face briefly and regretted asking.

"Nothing special, Horatio, actually. I feel like he spends too much time cleaning up after other people and not living his own life."

"This coming from a guy who's guilty of the same thing?"

"Hey, takes one to know one."

"Yeah, yeah," she said noncommittally. Her mind was wandering over everything, but nothing in particular. She'd found her thoughts to be so scattered lately that it was almost too difficult to focus at times. Twirling the base of her glass around in her fingers she became mesmerized by the play of color the light shinning through the glass left on the table.

She was broken from her reverie when she felt Eric's leg brush up against hers, startling her from her thoughts a bit. She looked up and realized that they had two more additions to the table who'd stopped by to grab a beer -Tripp and Jake.

"Since when did they become friends?" asked Eric as he leaned in close to her, echoing Calleigh's thoughts.

Calleigh couldn't help but give Jake a cryptic look after he sat down and acknowledged her across the table with a tip of his beer. The looks that passed between them didn't go un-noticed by Eric, who picked up relatively early that something wasn't quite right. Calleigh immediately entered in conversation with Natalia and Ryan, forcing herself to think of anything but the possible nightmare this situation could become.

For Calleigh, it wasn't that she didn't want to see Jake. It was simply that she was still in a post-breakup frame of mind and in a social setting, not work. Forcing casualness with him was so much more difficult because he knew her so well. It also didn't help that the hyper-attentive male at her side was watching their every move.

She could feel Jake's eyes on her and she knew his game, she knew he thought he'd be able to win tonight, to at least talk her into getting another drink with him. So much of her just wanted to let him win, to walk out the door with him and have the devotion of a lover for the night. But she knew she'd wake up early the next morning and regret every second of it. No, he would not be walking out of here a happy man this evening.

She received a nudge from Eric and realized he was looking at her and had just asked her a question. She shook her head a little to bring herself back to reality and asked him to repeat his question.

"I think we're heading out soon, you going to come with or stay here with Jake?" he asked casually. A little too casually. She knew he was fishing for information, trying to judge by her response what was going on. Calleigh fought hard not to roll her eyes at his blatancy.

"Oh, I don't know yet. I was actually thinking of going home, I have this awful headache."

She wasn't lying. It really was getting unbearable. It was the pulsating kind that made it hard for her to turn her head or even talk loudly. She saw a wave of caring wash over his face and felt a little bad for Eric, even if his intentions were a little confused.

"I've got some stuff out in my car if you want some."

Smiling, Calleigh patted his arm, but shook her head.

"No thanks, it's been a long day, I should go home anyway, see if I can get a little sleep."

"Are you still having problems sleeping?"

Calleigh hedged a bit, giving Eric an evasive answer saying, "It's just being back and getting into the groove, threw my circadian rhythm of a bit."

"You sure, I don't want to find out weeks from now that you're an insomniac."

"I'm fine, I promise."

"If you need to sleep you can always have my couch, I know how fond of it you are," he said playfully. She tapped him lightly on the arm, covering for her embarrassment from falling asleep at his place.

"Yeah I bet your girlfriend would love that," she said offhandedly, but instantly regretted it after seeing his smile fall away to a more serious face.

Soon after everyone paid their checks and collected their things, moving towards the exit. Jake fell into step with Calleigh as they moved towards the door, talking to her quietly as they went. Eric managed to get stuck behind Valera and Natalia who were talking about how hot Calleigh and Jake looked together. He felt like gagging as they giggled like school-girls at the handome pair.

When they got outside Calleigh informed the group of her new plans and headed to her car, waving good bye to Eric as she went. Each said congratulations on making fellow and bid her goodnight. Jake remained at her side as she walked with him towards her car.

Eric's eyes remained glued to the pair, watching as they spoke, neither conveying anything that would be out of place. She gave Jake a smile and kissed him on the cheek, much like the one Eric remembered receiving a few months ago. Calleigh opened her car door and climbed inside, waving to Jake as she started up the vehicle and began to drive away.

"Eric, you comin?" asked a wary Natalia, who'd definitely been watching him.

"Yeah, I was uh just uh… never mind."

He climbed into the backseat beside her and shrugged. There wasn't anything to say that would placate her inquisitive mind. Probably just as well.

Ryan, properly sobered up from earlier that evening, drove on to the jazz club with Valera in front, confusing him with every turn he made. Horatio opted to go home earlier, and from what Eric knew, Calleigh did the same.

"Where are you taking Kate tomorrow?" asked Natalia lightly.

"We're actually spending most of time at the Y. She's never been diving, so I figured giving her the fundamentals would be wise. We're not doing anything too exciting tomorrow, but maybe in few weeks we'll get the chance."

"Sounds like a plan. Have you taken her to meet the fam yet?"

"Ha! Definitely not. You know my sisters, they'd eat her alive."

"You should probably prepare her for it. I'm just glad I met them after… well, anyway. I think you should introduce her slowly. It'd be easier if you just dropped by one afternoon and let her meet your mom, because once she likes your girl, your sisters don't have a choice."

He seemed to contemplate this and gave her a sly look. She was definitely right. His mom reigned supreme in their house. Once she decided something, there was no arguing the other way. That's why he was the only one to help Marisol get her marijuana when his parents said 'no'.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked quietly. She looked pretty sitting there, with the street lights casting a subtle glow on her features. He gave her a grim smile, but chose to keep his thoughts to himself. As they pulled into the packed parking lot, Eric was actually looking forward to this kid that Natalia was talking about. She was pretty good at picking the right spot for a great evening.

"Too bad Calleigh isn't here, she's the one that talked me into this stuff in the first place," said Ryan as they climbed out of the car and started walking to the club.

"What stuff?" asked Valera.

"You know, blues and soul. A little bit of jazz tossed in."

"This isn't just jazz. I'm serious guys, the kid is going to blow your mind," said Natalia as the other three picked up conversation. Eric remained quiet as he listened to his friends talk, ignoring the feeling of sorrow that another voice, one that seemed to be his conscience at times, was not there to add to the mix.

O-O-O

Sunday afternoon rolled around and Calleigh was a little nervous. She wasn't sure whether she would tell Eric that she'd broken up with Jake but she did want to tell him about her trip, about all the crazy things that happened and what all went on in other labs.

As she pulled up to his place, she noted another car in the driveway but didn't give it too much thought as she walked up to his front door, pushing the door bell quickly. She was greeted by a familiar petite woman with bobbed dark brown hair and big brown eyes, a bright smile on her face.

"You must be Calleigh! Come on in! Eric's finishing up in the kitchen."

"Thanks, and you're Kate I presume?" asked Calleigh as she followed the young woman inside. Calleigh found herself wondering how old Kate was. She didn't look young enough to be right out of school, but she wasn't as old as Eric either. She pegged her for about 27. Calleigh suddenly felt old as she walked into his kitchen, watching as Kate reached up and grabbed some coffee cups from the shelf, clearly familiar with the layout.

"Hey Cal," said Eric over the sound of the coffee maker. "Sorry about all this, we got back a little late from lunch."

"Yeah, sorry about that!" said Kate as she wiped down the counter, looking perfectly at home as Calleigh stood on the other side of the bar. Watching this scene Calleigh fought the sudden urge to bolt for the door. "We got carried away with his parents. His mom was trying to explain how to make this dish and then his dad said she was doing it wrong, oh it was a so funny. Babe, your parents are hilarious."

Eric looked back at her with a smile and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a real riot. They'll still be griping about it a week from now."

"No way," she said as she looked up at Calleigh and smiled, completely unaware of how much the woman before her wanted to hit the hills. "Alright, my work here is done. I've got to head out. Lesson plans to write, groceries to get, dogs to walk."

"You're leaving so soon?" asked Calleigh, suddenly finding her voice.

"Yeah, but I hope you both have a great time. It was nice meeting you, Calleigh."

"Oh yes, same here."

Calleigh turned away as Kate and Eric kissed goodbye, short and quick, but Caleigh wasn't too interested in the sight. She wasn't sure if it was like that knee-jerk reflex she got when her parents would kiss, or if it just made her feel uncomfortable.

Minutes later and she and Eric were sitting outside in his pair of Adirondack chairs. He was telling her about his nightmare experience trying to get Kate in the water, realizing too late that she wasn't even that great at swimming. The closest they got to diving was throwing pennies into the shallow end of the pool at the YMCA and playing marco polo with 8-year-olds.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh I am, and what was better is she got all the kids to play with us."

"I bet that was fun," she said as she laughed hard, trying not to spill her coffee.

"It wasn't all that bad; it just wasn't what I was expecting."

"Are you going to try again? Go diving and all?"

"Maybe. I wish she'd been upfront with me though and told me she was afraid to swim."

"Aw, be nice, she was trying to impress you. Be flattered."

"Has that ever happened to you? What's the craziest thing a guy has done to impress you?"

Calleigh sat for a few moments, her mind running over past occurrences, and she remembered one particular incident when she was in college. Just thinking of it made her blush.

"When I was a senior in college I was a TA for this intro level physics class. There was this kid from the marching band's drum corps who was sweet on me, and he'd always leave a Hershey kiss in my box whenever he'd drop of his homework assignments. I never thought much of it, just figured he was trying to get more points. At the end of the semester I was leaving class with one of my advisors we were met with the whole drum corps outside. This huge crowd had assembled and we stood around and listened to it, but then I realized that it was all for me. I about died at the end because they got in this neat orderly line and walked by me, each one handing me a Hershey kiss and then he walked right on up and planted a real one on me. I was too shocked to do anything but stand there."

"I don't believe one word of that story."

"Oh you better believe it, I still have one of the kisses from that day."

Eric balked at this, asking, "I don't get it, why?"

"It reminds me of all the crazy things you do when you're in love."

"Well, did you give him a shot?"

"No, I had a boyfriend and he wasn't too keen on me dating someone else."

"Understandable, I wouldn't share you either," he said lightheartedly and he tipped his cup back for another sip, the bitter liquid running down his throat, into his heart.

They sat together chatting, but neither really got around to broaching the topic of weeks past and the behavior involved. As much as Eric wanted for all of it to be water under the bridge, there was a part of him that couldn't let go. Calleigh knew there was a mountain to get off her shoulders but had no imaginable way to articulate her thoughts. Thus avoidance of the issue took over.

Two cups later and both were highly caffeinated and ready to take over the world. They were contemplating how best to expel their energy [someone can write a smut!Fic about that when Calleigh's cell phone rang.

Eric figured this to be the closer on their evening and stood, extending his hand to pull her up. When he did she was brought ever so close to him, her face mere inches away. She wasn't paying attention though, her mind was on her phone and her eyes were elsewhere. His mind was on her and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear as she smiled at a comment Jeff made from afar. Eric realized that his thoughts were so far out of line that he took a step backwards and moved towards the table between the chairs, picking up their empty cups. He couldn't think about her like that anymore. He had Kate.

Closing her phone, Calleigh followed him into the kitchen and stood in front of the sink. She glanced over at Eric, saying, "I'm going to head in tonight, give Jeff a hand. He needs man-power for his case and he figured he'd take me up on all the IOU's."

"Bad idea, pulling a double before the week has begun is a bad idea."

"Yeah? How often have you done it?" she asked doubtfully as she took the cups from his hand and washed them carefully.

"Both weeks you were gone," he shot out without thinking. But that one short sentence hit acutely at the matter. She stopped for a second, glancing at him for a moment, then resumed washing.

"Are you going stay mad at me because I took your advice?"

"What advice Calleigh? I merely stated a character trait and you booked it for the beach with your boyfriend."

"Is that really what this is all about?" she'd had a problem pinpointing what his animosity was directed at, but it was becoming increasingly clear.

"No," he said petulantly. He stood there for a moment, debating if he should voice his thoughts… or fears rather. Looking up, her eyes were trained on his and he knew he had no hope. "I just think you've changed since you started dating Jake and I don't like it. I don't like how moody you are and how you always seem tired. Maybe I'm wrong in saying this, but I always thought you were supposed to be happier when you started dating someone, but you've seemed unhappy for the last month."

Calleigh took in his words but didn't respond. He was blaming Jake for her problems though, and she couldn't have that. Jake may have had some part in her current state, but he certainly wasn't the root of all her problems.

"You've got it wrong, Eric. "

'What? The part where you've been brooding and quiet or the part where Jake sucks?"

"I can't believe you!" Calleigh couldn't even fathom his reasoning for what he just said.

"Then what Calleigh, tell me why it is that I feel like I don't even no who you are sometimes."

"Eric, you want the truth? I lay awake at night for hours. Hours! I don't sleep. I haven't slept for more than an hour or two a night for three weeks. So yes, moody would be fitting. Was Jake to blame for some of that? Sure maybe a night or two, but I can't sleep…" she paused to take a breath, angry that she'd already divulged that much, "because I have nightmares Eric. I shoot up in bed drenched in sweat, only to realize that I was dreaming about drowning, or about accidentally shooting someone, or about people getting shot, or about my ex-boyfriend killing himself right behind me. I dream about so many harmless things that become frightening that you would laugh at some of them. So, don't bring Jake or my new frame of mind into the mix, because neither one is to blame. The Redding case may have ended for you, but I relive it every. single. night. So save it."

She threw the rag that she was using to wipe the cups on the table and grabbed her purse, leaving Eric in his kitchen, leaning against his cabinet, feeling like an ass. Calleigh also felt like an idiot, mainly because none of what just spewed out of her mouth had been planned. But that's normally how it went with Eric anyway.

Before she made it out to her car Eric reached her and blocked her path, holding his hands out for her to stop. She'd already mostly cooled off by the time she'd reached her car though. For some odd reason she could never maintain any long standing anger towards him. She even felt awful for the way she'd treated him for the past few weeks.

"Calleigh don't leave like this. I'm sorry, if I had any idea you were having this problem I could have found someway to help you," he stopped when she started shaking her head.

"There was nothing you could do for me, and please don't apologize Eric," she said with frustration in her voice. "I haven't been myself lately and I'm sorry for taking it out on you. You've put up with a lot from me recently and I'm just glad you haven't ditched me yet."

Eric smiled at her and shook his head slightly, overwhelmed by how quickly they'd gone full circle. He just wanted her to be happy. That's all. They talked a bit longer and agreed to grab coffee again after work the next day. Before he let her leave, he pulled her in for a brief, tight hug and sent her on her way. As her car moved down the road he let out a deep breath, entirely unsure of how to proceed and what to do of the mess his life was becoming.

O-O-O

It wasn't a coffee shop, but it wasn't a diner either. They called it a coffee place because coffee could be gotten there, but one could get breakfast all day there too. There were overstuffed chairs and there was a bar with sticky linoleum seats. It was a confused little establishment that housed a wall full of trade-in books and kitschy decorations, but it was still popular with those who happened to wander of the beaten path.

Calleigh and Eric liked it because there was a nice sized corner booth and good 'coffee shop' music. Sometimes Calleigh liked to come alone to people-watch, for the place was frequented by all types of people and made fodder for interesting day-dreams..

Falling into the seats from sheer exhaustion, each CSI took out their day's work and began to move methodically along, casual conversation scattered throughout. The one fixture in the place, a man better suited for bar-tending than coffee pouring, was Mel. It was his joint, and he welcomed the two CSI's in his corner at any time. Both were drinking water just then, but as a kindness to Mel for giving them space to use, they always ordered something off the menu, sharing more often than not.

And so began the evenings at Mel's. They ended up finishing off most shifts there. Opting to do their paperwork to the sounds of the 20-year old playing heartbroken strummy-strummy music in the corner rather than listening to the sounds of shuffling techs and lab equipment seemed beneficial. Most of the time they'd work, but more than anything they opened themselves up for free-flowing, easy conversation in which each got a better understanding of the other and Calleigh began to heal, bit-by-bit.

Eric tended to leave earlier than Calleigh, often meeting Kate for dinner and an evening of merriment, though a part of his mind always remained behind. Just as his thoughts stayed with Calleigh, hers would wander his way when she'd come to an impasse with her work, curious as to what he was doing just then, what he was laughing at or what he was eating with his girlfriend.

"Where is it that you go everyday?" asked Ryan as he followed Calleigh into firearms on a Tuesday afternoon.

"What do you mean?"

"After work, with Eric. Where do you go?"

"Oh. Mel's. We grab coffee and we finish up our paperwork. You're more than welcome to join us," said Calleigh lightly, giving the younger CSI a caring smile.

"Mind if I come today? I finally get to be the lead on cases, but I forgot about the mass amount of paperwork and filing involved. I have a stack as thick as a textbook waiting to be filled out."

"Can little Ryan handle the big boy job?" Calleigh smiled at her colleague and told him when they'd head over.

"Do you think there's enough room at the table?" asked Eric doubtfully later that afternoon, not willing to share in his 'alone time' with Calleigh. He'd gotten used to it being the two of them and rather looked forward to that part of the day. They both did. Ryan would just shake things up a bit.

"Of course, Eric, don't be mean. He just wants to be cool like us," she said mockingly as she impersonated him from earlier in the day.

"Don't be crazy, he'd give himself an aneurysm trying to achieve that level of awesome," said Eric as he walked to their corner and took a seat, realizing that Calleigh had stopped half-way through and was chatting with a patrol officer at the bar. He watched her as she stood there, speaking effortlessly with this gawking 25 year old. Kid didn't have a chance with her, but she still treated him the same as she did everyone else, and Eric couldn't help but admire that about her. So caught up was he in watching Calleigh that he neglected to notice Ryan cruise on over and take a seat across from him.

"Delko, what's good to eat at this place? I'm starved."

"Get number 33. Has your name written all over it," said Eric a little begrudingly as Calleigh finished up her conversation and made her way to the table.

"Ryan, can you get us two cups of coffee when you go up to order?" asked Calleigh as she took out her laptop and plugged it in, preparing to answer the 67 emails that had piled up since noon.

"Sure thing," said Ryan as he went over to place his order, leaving Calleigh and Eric alone. He caught her watching him as he sorted through his evidence list - he had to appear in court the next day and was getting ready.

"What?"

"You still color-code things," said Calleigh with a small smile, thinking back on cases past.

"Yeah yeah, I like it to be pretty, shoot me," he said with a grin as Ryan plopped down next to Calleigh, handing each their cups of coffee.

"So, you're both coming to my party this weekend, right?"

Eric and Calleigh looked up at each other simultaneously. The party was this weekend? All previous plans were pushed aside, Ryan's party would take precedence.

"Of course," both murmured. Eric was supposed to go to dinner with Kate's parents, an event he'd rather avoid. He could claim it was absolutely necessary that he attend, just to get out of the inevitable guilt trip.

"You gonna bring Kate?" asked Ryan. "I had a great time the other night. I like her a lot. She'll definitely keep you on your toes, that's for sure."

Eric had been studiously avoiding Calleigh's eyes as Ryan asked and then proceeded to dig a hole for Eric. First off, Eric had run into Ryan on his way out the other night and asked if he wanted to grab drinks with him after shift. They met up with his cousin and then Kate showed up. There was no intentional exclusion of co-workers, it just proceeded in that manner. Then why did he feel so guilty?

"Not sure yet, Ryan. Her parents are coming into town for the weekend, so she'll probably have to entertain them Saturday night."

"Shouldn't you be with her and her parents instead of out with us?" asked Calleigh as she typed rapidly, responding to an email and participating in the conversation.

"I'm already going out to dinner with them Friday. I just don't think I can handle a whole weekend of 'Meet the Parents."

"Someone's getting cold feet," whispered Ryan to Calleigh. "And just when things were moving so smoothly. I was expecting to hear wedding bells soon."

"We've only been dating for less than two months!" responded Eric defensively. "We are no where near that point, Woolfe. God where do you get this stuff?"

He shrugged in reply, then glanced over to Calleigh who appeared to be paying attention to their conversation but looked mighty intrigued by the email she was reading.

"Whatchya got there?"

"Well, you know how they had to postpone the final hearing for Charlie Redding's appeal to later this month?"

"Yup," both men replied, very familiar with the situation.

"It's gotten bumped up to next Thursday."

"That's great," they replied as Ryan's food was placed in front of him, a giant burger with a heap of seasoned fries.

"Yeah except Judge Murdoch is now trying the case."

"Ooooh," the boys commiserated. Murdoch was known for eating puppies for breakfast, and innocent babies for lunch. She was belligerent and harsh, a combination which did not bode well for Charlie.

"You know, she just needs to get laid," said Ryan thoughtlessly. "Think of all the happy criminals we could have running around the city if that woman just got a little lovin'."

Eric chuckled while Calleigh made a good point to at least act indignant. "Shame on you Ryan, her husband died in February from Hodgkin's."

"Yeah, well widow or not, I still say she needs to get some," he said as he leafed through a file.

Ryan didn't stay long, leaving Calleigh and Eric alone once again, but just as Eric predicted, he'd shaken things up a bit. Calleigh was unusually quiet, her fingers twirling a pen in the air as she scanned page after page of an extensive report she had to file.

"Eric, stopping watching me read, you know I hate it when you do that," she said carelessly as she took another sip of her lukewarm coffee.

"Why are you being so quiet?"

"I can't talk and read at the same time!"

"Sure you can, you've done it for as long as I've known you."

"Then I guess I don't have anything to say." A few minutes passed, but he could tell she was getting restless.

"Listen I'm going to head out, I've got to go to the evidence locker and verify some of the things in this report."

"Want some company? I'm almost finished here," he asked, watching her pack up.

"No, you probably need to get home anyway. Isn't it your night to cook for you and Kate?" she looked passive as she stood up, but her voice betrayed her slight irritation. She didn't know why she wanted to leave so badly, but being reminded of happiness that she did not have was starting to take its toll. Catching his confused look, she frowned, "Look, I'm sorry. I uh, I just need to get of here for a bit, clear my head, finish my work. Have a good night Eric."

"Bye Cal," he said quetly as she patted him on the shoulder in passing.

The rest of the week was an up and down ride for Calleigh, mainly because no part of it was going smoothly. Her cases were difficult and she was having more difficulty sleeping again. Well, she was until the Thursday night, in which she'd had a rather unsettling dream co-starring Mr. Delko…

She awoke with a jolt, sitting up in bed and trying to figure out why she was awake. She wasn't clammy like she normally was when she'd been having her nightmares, but she was definitely different. She felt kind of… funny… kind of like she did when she was in college and dreaming of her first true love. Shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs, she pulled away her bed sheets and walked in the dark towards her bathroom to get a glass of water.

As she stood before the sink her mind ran over what she could remember of her dream, trying to figure out what it was that made her wake up so suddenly. While the water filled her glass the rushing sounds brought to mind the sound of the sea as it beat against a small outcropping of rocks extending from the beach.

Closing her eyes, she remembered seeing sand squished between her toes and a bucket and shovel sitting beside her. Glancing out she saw a little boy, no older than four, running away from a wave. He had sandy blond hair and was tan from summer days spent outside. A girlish giggle from her right brought her attention to a teetering toddler, ringlets, smiles and a snaggletooth. She had green eyes, lighter than Calleigh's, but the same tan skin as what Calleigh took to be her brother. Standing in her bathroom, Calleigh's head fell to the side as she felt a phantom feather-light kiss at the nape of her neck, then again at her collarbone. Smiling, she turned to the culprit and was met by none other than Eric. What was worse was that she leaned in willingly and kissed him!

Her eyes flashed open and she gasped loudly, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

No way.

Absolutely not.

She was NOT having dreams of martial bliss involving Eric. If anything she always thought she'd have dreams of hot, outrageous sex with him, but not fun-filled family days at the beach.

Calleigh couldn't believe she'd just had that many non-platonic thoughts of Eric in a row. What was worse was that as she stood there she began to feel less and less wierded out. It was only natural to be dreaming of him, they'd been spending all that time together lately. Maybe the family part wasn't normal, but damn, their kids were cute.

Shaking her head, she shut off her water and tried to get a hold of the situation. It was nothing. Really, just a stupid dream. She was probably hormonal or something, her biological clock was ticking. It made perfect sense if she viewed it that way. Gulping her water down quickly, Calleigh walked softly back to bed and climbed in, covering herself to her chin.

Calleigh rolled her eyes at the thought of her and Eric kissing and turned over on her stomach, burying her head in a mound of pillows. Sleep did not return quickly as she tried to ponder other things, nearly everything – except the root of her newfound insomnia. It didn't matter. Eric was very much taken, as good as married in her eyes. His affections had been transferred and now had a new target.

She had nothing to worry about, not really. He was falling for someone new and Calleigh was getting cozy in her nice warm bed… alone.

Nothing like a cold case of denial to get sobered up.

O-O-O

During lunch the next day she, Ryan and Natalia sat around the break room, throwing out ideas. Ryan was trying to figure out what he should wear the following evening for his party. Calleigh sighed and rolled her eyes as he postulated wearing a tux.

"You can be so over the top sometimes! Don't go overboard."

"Just wear a nice button-up and a blazer, like always," suggested Natalia.

"I figured I should get one anyway, considering we have that Mayor's Ball in two weeks."

Natalia nodded in agreement, but Calleigh sat there, realizing that she'd forgotten completely about it. What was worse was that there was no way she was going to it and she had no plausible excuse yet. Seriously? A night spent in a boat on the water was six-feet under the list of Top Ten Things Never to do Again.

"Are y'all going?" asked Ryan as he tipped the last of his drink back.

"Yeah, soon as I talk my date into it," said Natalia. Calleigh remained silent, causing them both to look at her.

"I uh, I'm not sure yet."

"Better figure that out, RSVP is due on Tuesday. Plus, it's not like you won't have a date."

She inwardly cringed. People still had this crazy idea that she was still with Jake. Even Eric. And now it was just starting to get old. Really old.

"Right, I'll get on that," said Calleigh as she stood up and pushed her chair in, heading for the door.

Just then, Eric walked in and gave her a nod, which she met with a smile as she passed.

"Cal, we still on for tomorrow? You carpooling with me to Ryan's party?"

"Sure thing," she said as she walked down the hallway. "See you at seven."

Taking a seat across from Ryan, he started eating his sandwich while as Ryan verbally described what he was reading online about the world of CSI's nationwide.

"Hey Eric? Need a sweet job? Supervisor in the ATL transferred to Chicago. Guess he didn't like the Braves."

"Sure, I'll take a new job," said Eric mockingly, "as long as it'll get me away from you!"

O-O-O

Eric rang the doorbell as he leaned against the patio railing, looking at the neighboring yards which were manicured to perfection. After a few moments the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman about Calleigh's age wearing a blue dress who was definitely not Calleigh.

"Hi," she smiled upon opening the door, clearly pleased with what she saw. He smiled in return but it quickly turned confused as he checked the address number.

"Hey, I was looking for Calleigh?" he said after verifying the correct address. "Is she available?"

"Certainly," she smiled and stepped away from the door, granting him entrance. Eric looked around at the large open foyer leading to a well outfitted kitchen.

"Cal, you have a visitor," called the woman towards the direction of Calleigh's bedroom. She walked towards the kitchen, looking back to make sure Eric was following.

"So you are?"

"Eric, Eric Delko. We work together," he stated, growing mildly concerned under the other woman's very direct gaze.

"Ah yes, I think she might have mentioned you," she replied, accent similar to Calleigh's, but a little stronger. "Would you like a glass of tea?"

"Sure?" he replied with hesitation. Was he supposed to drop by? "I was just stopping by to pick her up for the party tonight."

"Party? She never mentioned a party. Figures as much. I showed up a little unannounced. Now I feel just awful," she stated, clearly dismayed.

"Awful about what, Annie?" said Calleigh as she rounded the corner coming into clear view of her kitchen. She stopped abruptly upon seeing Eric, her hand clasped over her mouth in surprise. "Oh no, Eric! I forgot!"

Meanwhile Eric was busy coughing up the ice cube he nearly choked on upon Calleigh's entrance. Eric wasn't really concerned right then if she forgot. He wouldn't have cared if she'd forgotten his name.

Standing before him was a vision. Calleigh Duquesne dressed in three inch raspberry red heels, offset by matching toes and a halter, knee length, a-line dress that said 'let's have sex on this table, RIGHT NOW!'. He was clearly distracted by her appearance and not by her apologetic words. Eric could not have been more unprepared for that sight, and it took all he had not to lean forward on the counter for support.

As evidenced by his open mouth and dumbfounded stare, she quickly realized that he was paying her no attention and shook her head with exasperation.

"Eric?" snap, snap. "Hi yes, I'm up here, welcome back," she said with mild embarrassment. "Eric, this is my sister-in-law and old friend, Annie. Annie, this is Eric Delko."

"Whom you _work_ with?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow, amusement evident.

"Yes," she stated firmly, "WORK. Eric, I don't think I'm going to be able to make it tonight. Annie and I made plans to go to El Cubano Reservado."

By this point Eric had begun to digest information and was able to formulate a response. Finally.

"Wait. The place I told you about? And you're going without me? To a Cuban place?" he was trying to cover his previous faux-pas with mock indignation. Too bad he felt like the temperature had just gone up about 500 degrees. Why was it so hard to breathe? Calleigh looked at him and sighed in exasperation.

"And you've never had Creole without me around?" she shot back with her hands planted on her hips.

"Calleigh, honey, give the man a break. Go with him to this little soiree. We can switch the reservations to tomorrow night. Besides, I have to get supplies for our adventure tomorrow," said Annie, smiling conspiringly at Eric.

At the mention of an adventure Calleigh bristled slightly.

"You wouldn't dare!" she shot back at the woman, evening plans quickly forgotten again, while Eric watched the women bicker back and forth with practiced ease.

"Oh it's as good as gold baby, a few more things and it'll be complete."

"Annie, I have to be in court first thing Monday morning. And I have all these cases to review."

"No ma'am. Keep all your high falutin' police talk away from me. Tomorrow, you are mine. Tonight, you are his," she pointed to Eric like he should know how to handle the firecracker between them.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this. If you have plans, go right on ahead. I'll make up a good excuse for Ryan," he added the last part for a shred of guilt, which produced a modicum of the desired effects.

Calleigh let out an audible sigh and shook her head with vexation.

"You two don't even know each other and you gang up against me? How about you both go out, and I stay in?"

"Nice try, but I'm pretty sure this strappin' fella didn't come here to listen to you back out of prior engagements," said Annie with a no-nonsense tone of voice, making Eric wonder if it was a trait that all women had from Calleigh's area. "Now sooth my sorry conscience and change into something more appropriate so you can go to this party… Scoot!" She turned a frowning Calleigh around and pushed her on the butt towards her room.

Calleigh stopped abruptly and turned towards the two of them resolutely and said, "I'm not going if you don't go."

"You can't be serious Calleigh!" said Annie dismissively. "He is waiting for you to go change."

Calleigh stood against the wall with her arms crossed. The universal sign for 'make me'. Thankfully, Annie knew when to throw in the towel.

"Fine! Woman you can be so infuriating," said Annie.

"How else would I get what I want?" said Calleigh sensibly.

"Go change. I'll keep Mr. Delko here company," said Annie as she eyed the other man. Calleigh watched this display and frowned.

"Annie, do try to be polite while I'm changing," Calleigh said as she turned around again. "Eric, don't listen to a word she says. Lies, all of it lies!"

Eric smiled as she walked away, taking another sip of his tea. Never before had he actually been given the opportunity to spend time with someone who knew Calleigh intimately. This was going to be a fun night.

"I have never seen Calleigh lose an argument before," said Eric in mild shock. "I wish I'd recorded it for all to see."

"Oh she didn't lose. She's just afraid of the trouble I may cause. Such an actress she is. So…" she paused to take a sip of her tea and leaned against the counter, looking at him expectantly. "How long have you been in love with my sister-in-law?"

O-O-O

A/N: MWA HA HA!!! I can't wait to finish the next 1.5 chapters. The next one is… caliente… Heh. Leave some love. AND THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!!


	16. Penultimate!

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 16: 16.5

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to Raising Caine

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Annie and Kate are all mine.

A/N: No joke, I wrote this 6 months ago. Sigh. One chapter left after this one. And wowza, it's a doozy. I plan on doing an epilogue, but I'm in no rush for that sucker.

PS: Part of this chapter is something that I think should be addressed in the show, and it has to do with Eric's injury. This is hypothetical fall out.

Read, comments welcome, and ENJOY!!

O-O-O-O-O

"So," she paused to take a sip of her tea and leaned against the counter, looking at him expectantly. "How long have you been in love with my sister-in-law?"

Eric choked on his drink for the second time and looked up at her like she was crazy.

"What? I don't, I'm not,-" Eric sputtered innocently.

"Relax," she said with a musical laugh. "I'm just jokin' with ya. I'm going to go change into something more appropriate."

"Sounds good."

"Is this casual or are we at least supposed to look nice?"

"Look nice. We'll probably go out afterwards," said Eric as he watched Annie mentally coordinate an outfit. Women.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit. I think I hear Calleigh now."

A few moments later, Calleigh returned in a completely different outfit, still as radiant as ever. Eric was amazed at the speed with which she changed. She was actually still wearing a dress, a conservative sundress this time, one that worked for numerous occasions. He looked at her appraisingly and smiled. Few women could pull off green and not look like a reptile. But this color emphasized the green in her eyes. Made it hard for him to not look at them for prolonged periods of time. Really hard.

"What?" she said as she grew slightly uncomfortable under his persistent gaze.

"Two dresses in one day, my head doesn't know how to compute the new wealth of knowledge it's been offered."

"Oh honestly," she said as she took the remains of Annie's glass and poured it out, rinsing the glass and putting it in the dishwasher. "It's just a dress. I'll go put on a body bag if you want," she said threateningly.

"No, no. This will do just fine," he said confidently, with a trace of desperation.

"Thought so," she replied as she glanced up at him with a twinkle in her eye. She checked her watch and frowned. "We still have to go pick up his gift. What time does it start?"

"Fifteen minutes?"

"Nothin' wrong with being fashionably late," she said as she brushed her hand through her hair and walked barefoot into her living room.

Eric pushed off from the counter and followed her, watching as she straightened up the recently disheveled room. Pillows were returned to their rightful place, blankets folded and stowed. He had no idea how two women could make such a mess in such a short period of time.

"I haven't been here in ages," he said as he walked around, looking at pictures on the walls, some new, some old.

"Who's fault is that?"

"The one who never invited me."

"Never stopped you before."

Eric had paused in front of what looked to be an old family photo. Calleigh stood before her beautiful mother and her younger brother, her father had his arm clasped around the youngest brother. Her hair was stick straight and parted on the side, her face completely devoid of make-up. He guessed it was their last family picture before the divorce.

Calleigh looked up and saw him looking at her pictures. Rolling her eyes to herself she threw a blanket over the back of her couch and began to walk towards her bedroom again.

"Don't go anywhere; I'm going to go light a fire under Annie's butt so she'll hurry up."

Eric barely heard her as he continued to look at pictures. One was of her and her father hunting, outfitted in the orange vests and oh so attractive camouflage. Another was at her graduation from her police academy, only her youngest brother present as she stood there with her arm behind him and a much younger Jake to her left. Smiling like he owned the world.

Eric brushed away the increasing feeling of irritation at the thought of the homicide detective and kept looking. Another was a picture from a cookout at a marina hosted by the lab almost four years ago. He recalled how red Speed's face had gotten after one beer too many. Eric was standing behind Alexx and H, Calleigh on the opposite end tightly hugging a smirking Speed and Horatio with his hand on her shoulder.

The last one made him pause as he walked past it. It was from his party earlier that summer and had him, Calleigh, and Ryan sitting at a table, thick as thieves. It was candid and had Eric whispering something in her ear with her mouth open partly in shock, partly in laughter, as Ryan had grabbed her raised hand and was laughing as well. He smiled at the thought of it. That was probably taken when they were sharing with her their plan to prank Valera. That was a truly excellent prank.

Calleigh returned moments later, shaking her head.

"She's trying to find the right shoes. Let's head out to the car, she'll follow once she realizes we're not in here anymore," said Calleigh, clearly familiar with Annie's preparation routine.

Eric followed her outside and pulled his shades back on his face as he watched Calleigh retrieve hers from a matching purse.

"Say it," she said knowingly to Eric knowingly as they climbed into his car.

"You were awfully dressed up just to go to dinner," he said as he turned the volume down as the sounds TV Rock's Flaunt It filled his car.

"Maybe we weren't just going to dinner."

"Aoh, going to paint the town red perhaps?"

"Something like that," she said mischievously.

"Well, if Ryan's party blows we can peace out and do all the painting you want," he said with a smile.

"Aw, not nice," replied Calleigh. "Ryan has been talking about this all week and you want to blow him off?"

"Ouch, don't think so highly of me," he said with indignation. "You're the one who forgot about the party entirely."

"Oh, don't start," she said as she resettled herself in her seat. "I didn't anticipate having a visitor."

"About that," said Eric as he drummed on the steering wheel. "She's awfully inquisitive."

"Yeah and she's brilliant too," said Calleigh as she started pulling her hair up into a pony tail. "She's a cardio-thoracic surgeon at Vanderbilt."

"So your brother lives in Nashville?"

"Yeah, he was the nine-thousandth person to name his dog Elvis. Very original."

Just then the back door opened and Annie climbed in, dressed perfectly and ready for a night out.

"Thanks for waiting," she said with a pinch on Calleigh's shoulder.

"Hey, I told you to stay in the dress you were wearing," said Calleigh as Eric took off, enjoying the different side of Calleigh.

"I would, but then I'd look better than you, and that's just plain rude," said Annie who received a pinch in return.

They continued on while Eric fiddled with the radio, stopping on John Legen's _Save Room_.

"I swear if they play this song one more time, I'm going to pull my ears off," said Calleigh as she reached to turn down the volume. "They don't have to play him to death just because he's coming into town next weekend."

"Hey, don't touch that," said Eric as he swatted her hand away. "It's a great song. What? You 'can't save room for my love, save a little, save a little for me?" crooned Eric as he turned smoothly to the right.

"Give me a break," she smiled despite herself.

"Your voice isn't that bad, Eric," admitted Annie from the back seat. "I'll be on your karaoke team tonight if we go out."

"Ha!" said Eric as he smiled to the sparkling eyes in his rearview mirror. "If we do karaoke, then I get to choose what song we do."

"Fine, fine," said Annie. "You know, I remember on one such occasion when me and 60 of our best friends were graced by a performance by your navigator up there."

"Woo-hoo-hoo, Calleigh?" asked Eric incredulously. "I can't imagine you ever doing something like that."

Calleigh gave him a mildly surprised look. "Why not?"

"You're too straight-laced for that. There's too much that can go wrong, not enough for you to control."

"Wait are we talking about the same person?" asked Annie from the backseat. "This is a girl who outran the cops in two counties on account of drag-racing and general hullabaloo."

"You got arrested?!"

"Oh my goodness, no I did not," said Calleigh as she turned in her seat to swap Annie on the thigh. "You don't get to talk anymore. For the rest of the ride. Absolute silence. And no. I didn't get arrested."

"But you ran from the cops?"

Calleigh remained silent, a mischievous smile playing across her lips.

"For TWO counties! In her boyfriend's vintage GTO no less."

"Annie! So help me God if you cause any trouble while you're here, I'll tell your kids everything we've ever done!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"The skinny dipping off Susie's dock; cutting class to drive to Biloxi and play poker on the casino boats; and the worst… never eating your vegetables!"

"What if I tell Eric here about that one time with the firecrackers?"

"Wait I think I know this. Was a dog involved?"

"No, no that was when we were kids. This one happened when we were what, in middle school?"

Calleigh looked at her begrudgingly then thought for a second. "It was the summer before ninth grade. We were at our last summer helping out with vacation bible school…"

"No don't steal my thunder, let me tell it!" said Annie like a seven-year-old with a completely captivated audience. "Anyway, so it's the dead of summer, no air conditioning, and both Calleigh and I were stuck with almost twenty of the loudest, most obnoxious seven year olds on our side of the Mississippi. It was our last afternoon and we were trying to think of something fun to do, and one of the boys said he had some firecrackers in his garage. We thought, heck, what's wrong with a couple firecrackers? So we went on a recon mission to retrieve the firecrackers and brought them out to this stream right behind our church. Calleigh had the brilliance to pile them all up together-"

"I wanted it to be big and pretty!"

"-whatever. Either way, it was loud and pretty all right. Two of the kids got superficial burns and this one," she said as she poked Calleigh roughly in the arm, "got a blister on her leg and singed hair."

"What'd you do jump in it or something?"

"No, some of them weren't going off, so I went over to make sure they were all lit, and a giant one went off when I was right by it."

"Brilliant." Eric put his car in park and climbed out, smiling at the thought.

"Oh save it. Don't act like you never did anything stupid," said Calleigh as she too exited the vehicle.

"I know I did plenty of stupid things, I just always had this image of you always studying or something, I don't know."

"Ha! Study?" asked Annie with an eye roll. "This kid didn't crack a book until maybe her third year of college."

"Oh please, I studied," said Calleigh as she tried to refute all the slander being thrown around.

"But I thought you were one of the smart kids?" said Eric in confusion.

"I never said she wasn't smart. She just had other things on her plate. Right?"

"Something like that," said Calleigh distractedly as they walked into the restaurant/club which had a private party out on its deck. She could see Ryan talking to some friends and she smiled. It felt good to see him happy again. "See Eric? Fashionably late and we're still fine."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to see if Alexx is here, she needs to sign this card. Excuse me ladies."

"I swear if you say anything else tonight, Annie, I may not let you live."

"Oh save it sweet pea, I'm older and scarier than you are."

"Yeah? Well, I have a gun."

"So do I honey, so do I," said Annie as she followed Calleigh towards the action.

O-O-O

As the evening wore on, Calleigh felt it necessary to at least mingle with a couple of her co-workers, leaving Annie in the safekeeping of Eric, who was sitting by the bar. Ordering them both drinks, Eric watched as Annie took a look at the glass warily, then took a deep, slow sip. Eric made note of it, but chose not to comment.

"So, you married Calleigh's brother Tommy?"

"Yes, 9 years and counting."

"Congratulations," said Eric with a raised glass. "What made you decide to marry him?"

"Oh, nothin' special. He said I looked hot in scrubs, and it went downhill from there."

"And you lucked out by marrying your best friend's brother."

"Ha, yeah. It was almost the other way around."

"Wait, what?"

"Calleigh was once engaged to my brother."

"Calleigh? That Calleigh right there? The one mortified of commitment?"

"The one and only."

"What uh, what happened?"

"Well, he was a year older than her, and had already graduated from college. He went through with Army ROTC and once he got out he was recruited to join the special forces. It was great until he was gone for six months and came back with mysterious injuries that he couldn't talk about. He started acting different and he just… wasn't the same old Rob. They had a stupid fight one day, things were said that shouldn't have, and both were too stubborn to apologize. Two years later, I started dating Tommy."

"Wow… That's… Pretty crazy."

"It was for the best. She seems," she paused and looked at Eric who was watching Calleigh standing across the room, "she seems pretty content with where she is right now. And what about you? I hear you have a girlfriend?"

"Word does get around," said Eric with a smile. "Yes, Kate. She's a teacher."

"So is my husband," said Annie. "What does she teach?"

"Elementary. She's prefect for it, kids really get along well with her."

"Yeah, Tommy's great at it too, considering he still is a kid."

"What's he teach?"

"11th grade history, won Teacher of the Year last year."

"Very nice."

"Ha, no. He made me call him 'number one' for a month. Took down our family portrait and hung that stupid plaque up in its place. He's such a punk sometimes," she said with a sigh.

"So Calleigh was a wild child when she was younger?"

"Hardly. If anything, it was to let out all the pent-up frustration. She spent all of her time taking care of Tommy and Jamie. Someone had to talk sense around there, sure as hell wasn't going to be her worthless parents," said Annie bitterly. "Sorry, I don't know what Calleigh has ever told you about her parents, but they aren't my favorite people in the world."

"I can tell," said Eric with raised eyebrows. Pent-up animosity much?

They sat for a few more minutes, people watching. Drinks were getting passed around for a toast to Ryan. Eric laughed at Ryan as he grabbed Alexx and Calleigh, calling for Natalia to come close. Clearly Ryan was trying to benefit from his birthday, by getting some love from the ladies.

"You know, in high school, Calleigh was this incredibly intimidating person. She was quiet but always had a witty comeback, beautiful but didn't know it, and smart! Woo, she gave half the teachers in our little Podunk school a run for their money. The best part was that she shot guns and went hunting on the weekends. Can you get any more daunting?"

"Yeah, look at her now," said Eric as he finished the last of his beer.

She looked over at Eric and smiled again. "So tell me about yourself. All I know is that you work with Calleigh and that you look good in a wet suit."

"Excuse me?"

"It's how Calleigh used to distinguish y'all back when she'd describe who she worked with. You were the wetsuit man with a nice ass and she always called Horatio 'Shades'."

Eric chuckled at the reference and shook his head. It couldn't get more accurate than that.

"Well, my family is mainly Cuban, Russian father, although I am homegrown from Miami, I have three, I uh, I mean two older sisters, Aleksandra and Isabella."

"Two or three, what's it going to be?"

"My uh, my other sister, Marisol, was killed last year," he said solemnly.

"The one that married Horatio?" she said as she clasped a hand over her mouth, "Cal told me about that, I'm very sorry for your loss Eric. I know it must still be hard sometimes."

Coming from the woman before him he almost appreciated the sympathy he normally loathed. It was something about her resemblance to Calleigh that made it a little more bearable. He wondered if Calleigh could ever express herself like that. Doubtful.

"No, it's, it's fine."

"I know what it's like, losing a sibling. The brother that Calleigh dated? He went missing in '02 then was officially declared dead last year. It only took four years for us to find out. My mom was a mess, my dad was distant. They've had a rough time of it."

"What about you?" asked Eric, knowing that if she was anything like Calleigh, she probably overlooked herself.

"I don't know. I think I slowly accepted it over the years. It wasn't as much of a shock to me when they finally gave us the say-so. Either way, I'm not big on theatrics. I guess that's why Calleigh and I always got along so well growing up."

Eric nodded in understanding, starting to see how similar Annie was to his colleague. As he sat there, he got to thinking about how Calleigh reacted to other instances of death. Hagen, for example.

"Did Calleigh ever mention anything about John Hagen, a detective that worked here?"

Annie appeared to be giving it some thought, but shook her head as she couldn't recall the name.

"No," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and keeping her fingers busy, toiling with her hair. "Did he die or something?"

"Yeah," said Eric, suddenly deciding to censor the conversation a bit. "He uh killed himself a couple years ago," he decided to turn the talk to more cheerful topics. "I was just curious. So, tell me about this adventure you have planned."

Calleigh glanced over at the table and saw Eric and Annie, heads bent and talking quietly. If Annie weren't married to her brother she'd almost be jealous. When they were younger, Calleigh and Annie weren't the type of girls guys went after. They weren't the traditional cheerleader or prom queen type. Annie was class president, Calleigh had a screwed up family and had a tendency for reckless actions.

It wasn't until college that they got a chance to shine. Each blossomed in her own right and became absolutely stunning. Annie was born and bred for medical school and Calleigh chose a profession to spite her mother and to make her father proud. Both women were stubborn, fiercely loyal, and southern to the core.

Eric looked across the table at the woman before him and began studying her, somehow trying to find traces of Calleigh in her. They both seemed to have the same type of temperament, and were very direct women. He couldn't imagine being around either one of them when he was younger and no finding himself in love with one or both. Both seemed to have this complex quality about them, strong yet delicate at the same time.

"Eric, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but why are you here instead of at dinner with your girlfriend and her parents?"

"I met them for lunch. I didn't figure I owed them everything, we haven't been dating that long."

"But from the way you and everyone talk of your relationship, it sounds very serious."

"It's as serious you can get by dating for six weeks. Do I think I'll marry her? No clue. But is she worth the effort of trying to decide? Definitely."

She nodded but remained silent. He could tell she wasn't happy with his response. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she started talking again, this time her eyes were on Calleigh, who was talking with Ryan and Valera.

Calleigh decided it was high time she resume keeping company with Annie and free up Eric. But as she returned to the table, others followed and Eric stayed put. As everyone chatted merrily, Calleigh felt herself loosen up a little bit, at first concerned with bringing her sister-in-law to a semi-work gathering. The two lives did not often mix and she hoped desperately she wouldn't be cleaning up any work gossip for weeks to come.

Annie watched the interaction between Calleigh and Eric, how they always looked each other directly in the eyes and how his fingers always seemed to brush against her arm to get her attention, sometimes lingering, other times moving away. She observed the subtle splotches on Calleigh's neck when someone asked Eric about Kate, knowing full well that despite all pretenses Calleigh didn't care for the girl.

Soon cake was eaten and wishes made. The Salsa band downstairs started warming up, and the dance floor started to become an exhibition stage of sorts for the revelers as they slowly trickled down to the floor.

O-O-O

Calleigh danced with Ryan, smiling as he quickly got the hang of things and grew bolder as the night wore on. She switched up partners of course, once she even got Tripp out on the floor and was pleasantly surprised by the way he danced.

"Why Frank, I didn't know you could be such a ladies man," she said as he walked her towards the table at which they'd all congregated.

"Stop it Calleigh, you're makin' me blush," he said as he patted down his head with a napkin, his Texas accent a little more prevalent in his speech after a few drinks. Ryan returned from dancing with Natalia, smiling from ear to ear. Calleigh couldn't recall a time she'd seen him so carefree and full of life. Feeling a warm presence and a pinch at her side, she looked over to see Annie standing beside her after dancing with Eric who walking around the table to stand behind Ryan.

Calleigh worked hard most of the night to steer clear of Eric. Knowing Annie, she'd see them together and make a mountain out of a mole hill. As tenuous as their relationship had been recently, the last thing she wanted was for Annie to rock the boat and get carried away.

The next song came on and Calleigh decided to sit it out, watching as Tripp took a spin with Annie and Eric grabbed Natalia's hand, practically pulling her to the dance floor. Calleigh smiled at the two of them, knowing they shared so much between each other, if only for a brief time. Regardless, there was still a spark there, one that if Natalia weren't dating her mystery man, Calleigh would almost think Kate should have reason to worry.

Laughter from the side of the dance floor brought her attention to Valera and Ryan who were both trying to act like hot stuff, but kept laughing at each other in the process. Calleigh couldn't help but frown, feeling the loss of Horatio as they all enjoyed their time out together. Though he wasn't the craziest of guys, he still grounded the group, keeping everything in perspective.

As Calleigh's mind wandered off, she neglected to notice the man a few tables down giving her the 'let's dance!' look. Taking her look of thoughtfulness as a green light, he walked over to her and started conversation. He was good looking, and had a great smile, but there was something in his eyes Calleigh didn't like.

He continued to carry on conversation with her until the song ended and the salsa band took a break. Everyone filtered back to the table and introductions were made, but Calleigh was acutely aware that he'd zeroed in on her. She gave Annie a 'rescue me' look, but Annie shook her head and pointed to the dance floor. No way on God's green earth was Calleigh about to indulge her new sketchy friend in a little twirl and a two-step.

Fortunately, Eric showed up and immediately caught Calleigh's posture and the look on her face. Before she could make a lame excuse to get out of dodge with Romeo, he walked over and took this as his chance to finally get a dance.

"Cal? I think you owe me a dance," said Eric as he held his hand out, waiting for her to catch on. She gave him a brief quizzical look, and then took his offer for what it was: a rescue.

"Excuse me a minute, I promised this fella I'd dance with him hours ago, so sit back and cool your heels for a bit."

She reached out and grabbed Eric's hand tightly, holding on for dear life. She followed him as he took a large loop around the tables, which were growing increasingly full as the evening wore into night. Eric stopped when he felt a tug on his hand and turned back to Calleigh with a questionable look.

"I just wanted to say thanks," she said with a soft smile. "You know how I am."

"That I do Ms. Duquesne, that I do," he replied as he squeezed her hand and continued towards the dance floor where the band was about to begin another song.

"You don't have to dance with me, you know," said Calleigh.

"Why, you afraid you can't hack it?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he replied with a smile. He loved it when she got all fiery at him.

"Oh you did NOT go there," said Calleigh with a huff as they squeezed through the crowd and faced each other on the floor.

"Oh I DID go there. Now c'mon hot stuff, show me what you got," he said with a smile that mirrored Calleigh's as the music began and so did they.

Eric smiled devilishly at Calleigh. He knew she'd been avoiding this exact possibility all night. It was like everyone conspired against her, and Eric loved that.

She clasped his hand with a roll of her eyes and gave him a sardonic grin, quirking her eyebrows as they began to move in time, fingers interlocked and feet moving. Calleigh kept her eyes down for a bit, watching Eric's feet. He was such a good dancer she had to take a second to get a handle on his rhythm.

Eric brought his hand up under her chin and tipped her face to where she was looking at him. Even at night her eyes were crystal clear, the vibrant green a little smokier in the dim light. They clasped their hands together once again and started moving in step to the rhythm of the music, both clearly skilled as they each added unconscious flourishes to their steps.

Even though she started out stiff, he could tell she was loosening up, starting to have fun as they moved back and forth with the music. It helped that he hadn't unnecessarily encroached upon her personal space. He knew that if he moved in closer, the way it should be danced, she'd tighten up again, and that would remove all fluidity. It seemed all she could handle was touching his shoulder and hand at the moment.

Annie shook her head from where she stood, rolling her eyes at her idiot sister-in-law. She knew Calleigh and she knew for a fact that Calleigh was being difficult on purpose. As Eric bent down and said something in Calleigh's ear, she saw her frown and say something back, then noticeably step closer to him, and a smile appeared on his face. That's more like it. At least she was actually dancing now.

Claiming defeat, Ryan decided to join Natalia and Valera up at the bar while Annie took another spin with Frank.

"My God that is intense," said Ryan as he chugged a glass of water.

"Yeah, but it's so fun!" said Valera, ready to go out for another dance.

"If you're so good at it, why didn't you help me? Did you see me with Calleigh? I looked ridiculous."

"I didn't say I was good, I just said it was fun," said Valera as she corrected Ryan. "Why aren't you out there?" she asked Natalia.

"Oh I'm going back out, I was talking with Calleigh's sister-in-law just a moment ago. I'm just enjoying the view now," she said as she took another sip of her martini. She was trying hard not to be jealous of Eric and Calleigh on the dance floor, but with the way they were dancing, she couldn't do anything but stare.

Valera tracked Natalia's eyes to the floor and realized she was watching Eric and Calleigh, who were dancing… well if there was a picture of caliente in the dictionary, it would have been them. There was definitely no room for the Holy Spirit in between them as they danced with each other, him pushing her out for a spin and pulling her in even closer, laughter spilling out.

"Wow, that's," said Valera as she searched for the words, but not finding any.

"That's impressive?" said Ryan as he searched for a politically correct adjective.

"That's one way of putting it," said Valera taking another sip of her cocktail. "Maybe they'll finally get it out of their system and save us all."

"What do you mean?" asked Ryan.

"She thinks they've been acting oddly lately, I said it was because of pent-up sexual tension and she thinks it's because they already had sex," said Natalia in one breath.

Ryan stood there comprehending all that was said. No. No way. Eric and Calleigh?

"I'm going to disagree with you both," said Ryan and ate a pretzel. "Eric is with Kate, and besides, don't you think it would have happened by now if they were going to do something?"

"That's just it," said Valera, "who's to say they haven't?"

"Oh trust me, you'd know if they had," said Natalia, reflecting on the goofy grin she wore around lab for days when she and Eric first started talking. He elicited that behavior so easily from women. Calleigh would be no different.

For Calleigh and Eric, they were in their own world. One of the reasons Calleigh moved to Miami was because of its dance scene. She loved dancing. Eric was born shaking his butt, plain and simple. They were in their element with worthy dance partners and spicy music.

It wasn't that they were ignoring the not wholly unwanted feelings running through them as they danced so intimately, but for just a few minutes, they let it all die away and let the music overtake them. It was when they had the most fun when they first started out working together - their ability to move together on the dance floor only foretold how well they'd work together in the real world.

The best part was that they were having fun and it showed. They definitely livened up the dance floor as others seemed to pick up on their infectious behavior, for the music seemed to have that much more soul, more flavor and the movements of the dancers seemed more precise, yet fluid.

"I've missed this," said Eric as he turned her, crossing her arms over her shoulders, forming a basket. Releasing a hand, she spun out then spun back in, her hand automatically meeting his upon return.

"Yeah, it is nice, I forgot what it was like, dancing this well with someone I know, not having to be worried about the shady thoughts my partner is thinking."

Eric shook his head at her and smiled. Oh if only she knew what he was thinking, she wouldn't even be in the room with him. Continuing to make light of the situation, he followed her lead.

"Heh, last time I went dancing, one woman I was dancing with followed me all the way out to my car. How's that for comfort?"

"Was she hot?" Calleigh asked with a smirk, giving him her mischievous look and gasped when he hitched her up a little on his leg, spinning them both around.

"Eh, so-so," his mouth was close enough to her ear that she had to fight not to squirm from the resulting chills he sent down her spine.

"You know I hate it when you do that," she admonished lightly, kicking her leg back and breaking away from him, stepping back while he approached, like a hunter going in for the prey.

The tables turned and she placed her hand upon his chest, giving him an impish smile that made his heart beat even faster. She pushed him backwards with her foxy walk and proceeded to walk in a circle around him, oddly mirroring their everyday actions. When she came around she brought her leg up impossibly he high and he was reminded once again why he loved dancing with her. He caught it and his hand slid down the smoothness of her leg as he pulled her with him, releasing her leg and shaking his head at her.

"Show-off," he whispered.

"All for you baby," she joked as he pulled their arms around in a windmill fashion, coming up behind her and subtly grinding his hips against her. And just like that, it wasn't as innocent any more. As she moved against him, her body mimicking his actions, she did not bother to wonder why she loved the way his hands felt against her hips, coursing over her body and leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

She turned and found Eric's hand running up her thigh which had magically inched up his leg with her foot hooking behind his calf. She couldn't deny the sheer feeling of heat between them. His hand slid further under her dress, fingers caressing her smooth leg as he leaned her backwards. Pulling her up quickly, she grounded herself once again and moved out for another spin, laughing as Eric brought her back in really fast, spinning himself in the process.

"Who taught you?"

"My sisters. I was the eternal dance partner."

"I hope you didn't dance with them like this," she said he guided her body through the in-and-out, extending their crossed arms and pulling her in with his right hand, twisting her about skillfully.

"No, they wouldn't let me," he said as he flashed a smile jokingly. Her response was a laugh and a slap on his arm.

"Eric Delko," she admonished. "You should teach on the side, it'd be pretty fun and you're patient enough to do it."

Eric shook his head knowingly. "Nope, been there done that. I tried it for a little while in college."

"Not enough girls throwing themselves at you?"

"Oh there was plenty of that, but why dance with random people?" he asked as his hand moved to the small of her back, his fingers trailing along the beads of perspiration forming along the way.

"Why not?" she replied thoughtlessly, her hand tightening on Eric's shoulder.

His devilish smile returned again as he looked down at her, "Why dance with them, when I'm just fine dancing with you."

Calleigh looked to her right and rolled her eyes. He could be such a smug little punk sometimes.

"Oh Eric, silly man. I can't always be your dancing partner," she replied and then with a sudden thought, she really couldn't remain his go-to girl. "Soon you'll replace me with Kate and then you two can heat up the dance floor."

He gave her one of those 'don't go there' looks and sighed. "Calleigh, you know you're irreplaceable in my life, there will never be another you. Ever," his tone conveyed that she should know better, and caused her to almost feel ashamed a bit for even insinuating the possibility. She remained silent for a moment, trying to push out unwanted images of Eric with Kate. It was a bitter pill to swallow, realizing her friend had moved on to someone more fitting of him.

"Yeah? Regardless, there is always something better," she said more as congratulations than a cut-down, but it came out confused.

"You sure about that Calleigh? I don't know if anyone could do much better than you," said Eric as he dipped her quickly, bringing her in close again. He tried not to think about how much his fingers itched to remove the strap on her dress, how he wanted to kiss the beads of sweat off her shoulders, how he wanted to drag her to his bed and do nameless acts of insanity with her. Shaking his head, he looked up at her and saw she was also somewhere else, but about to reply.

"You must know by now that flattery doesn't work on me," she said reproachfully.

"What does work on you then?" he replied lightheartedly, but seriousness underlined his question.

She shrugged in response and looked back up to him, "Nothing."

Eric remained silent for a moment and then repeated her, "Nothing? There must be something."

Calleigh knew where he was going with this and grinned to herself, feeling the end of the song drawing near. He spun her out one last time and brought her back in, this time close enough that if he dropped his head a couple centimeters, he'd be able to kiss her.

But as they stood there, a breath-width apart, staring at each other, he whispered something that he hadn't intended to, and regretted only a bit.

"What are you so afraid of?"

Calleigh's eyes fell to his lips and for a brief moment she wondered what he tasted like. As she felt someone bump into her she refocused on his eyes, returning in a whisper, "nothing."

She stepped apart from him at that moment and gave him that, 'if you bring this up again, I may shoot you' smile, squeezing his hand for good measure. Poor Eric stood there, watching her get lost in the crowd, his heart beating rapidly.

O-O-O

Sunday evening and Annie was pulling her stuff out of Calleigh's tiny car, getting ready to enter the airport. Their day of intrigue and mischievousness had gone off without a hitch, both living to tell the tale. For most of the day, Annie had steered clear of Calleigh and Eric, wisely choosing to leave her words of wisdom when Calleigh would have the most time to think about them.

Shutting the door, Annie turned around and faced Calleigh, looking at the woman she loved so dearly.

"Cal, can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what you're asking."

"I promise, this is all I'm going to say about this issue and then I'll leave it alone."

Calleigh already knew where they were headed. Annie always had this morbid fascination with Calleigh's relationships, mainly because they were always designed to self-destruct. She once joked she could set a timer on the relationship based on Calleigh's mood.

"Please make it brief and painless," she said as pushed her sunglasses up into her hair.

"Why won't you acknowledge your feelings towards Eric?"

Calleigh fought hard to not let her jaw drop. She was expecting something stupid like, 'Have you slept with him yet?' not... this.

"Annie, there is nothing to acknowledge. We've been friends for several years, _good_ friends. We've both saved each other from some scary situations and we've gone through a lot together. I fully grant that I care a lot about him, but I just don't love him or anything that serious."

"Really? Because the way you act around each other, the way you talk to each other, hell, the way you look at each other says differently, regardless of what you're saying. I know you Calleigh, better than you think I do. I know that you run from situations when you don't know how to handle them, and that you are a master at deceiving others, even yourself. This man loves you. He doesn't just kind of have a thing for you, he doesn't just want to have sex with you, he genuinely cares for your well-being. Considering you are stubborn, emotionally stunted, and downright irritating, that says something."

Annie looked at her best friend carefully, trying to discern whether or not she had a clue. For all intents and purposes, Calleigh put up a good front, but deep down, she was the softest hearted person Annie knew. Once you were in, you were there for life, unconditionally. Early on Calleigh had made the mistake of opening herself up to those who did not deserve it and was hurt badly. Now, the only problem was the 'getting in' part.

What Annie found perplexing, was that Eric seemed to have Calleigh's utmost trust, but he didn't have _her_. There had to be a little gap, a little kink somewhere between Calleigh's brain and her heart because Annie could already see that Calleigh was lost for him. The shame was that she didn't know it yet.

Calleigh couldn't come up with a good response just then as she looked at Annie with her sparkling blue eyes and earnest, beautiful face. If she could just explain to Annie that they had their own system worked out and that all was swell and dandy, then great. Unfortunately, once Annie got an idea in her head it stayed there… for good.

"Annie," said Calleigh with exasperation in her voice, "go catch your plane. Make sure you call me when you land or I'll fly up there and kick your butt."

"Bring it, sister."

They hugged for five minutes, promising each other impossible things and bid each other adieu. Annie hoped she worked some sort of mojo in Calleigh's head, because there was little else that could happen for poor Eric.

"Adios Miami!" Annie whispered as she waved good bye to her dearest friend.

O-O-O

Monday strolled by in its typical fashion and brought the world to a screeching halt on Tuesday. Calleigh and Horatio stood across from each other in his office Tuesday afternoon, both a little ticked and trying hard to control it.

As it were, earlier that day, Calleigh and Eric had teamed up and driven to a fire-damaged house, searching for three missing children. The alarming events that unfolded caused Calleigh to question much more than just what happened that day, but for weeks past and to come. A emotionally distraught kid, no older than 15, found himself the possessor of a hand gun, which he used against Eric, holding it point-blank against his head. Calleigh shot the kid, Chris, in his arm, choosing not to take an innocent life. After that however, Chris took off running and the officer found the three children, locked in a crawl space beneath the house.

"Eric just walked out there, wasn't waiting for me or Officer Nunez, like he was following a ghost or something!" Calleigh wasn't yelling, but her irritation was clearly evident.

"I understand how you feel Calleigh. But still, regardless of what Eric was doing, as the senior CSI you need to maintain order on scene."

"What's that supposed to mean? I wasn't supposed to run after the kid who tried to shoot him?"

"Calleigh," Horatio looked up at her with his classic, 'you've been warned look.' But then she stopped for a second and considered what happened, and thought about other things that happened recently.

"What's going on here that I don't know about?"

"That's not the issue. The issue remains that a scene was compromised - "

"Horatio," the way she said his name made him stop. The way she could figure out things was uncanny and by the way she was looking at him, he could tell she was well on her way to figuring something out. She looked eager for him to at least give her some form of a response. When he wouldn't respond, she gave him this look that bore straight through his impenetrable layer and to his core, making him feel 5 inches tall and incredibly reckless.

Calleigh turned and opened the door to his office, ignoring the many looks she got as she stormed past. She wished so much for people to care just a bit less. Scanning the halls, and labs, she searched for Eric as a dog would sniff out its prey.

She could hear Eric and Ryan talking before she even saw him. Both were standing around in the break room, chatting casually like nothing had happened just two hours ago. The sight alone made her just a little angrier. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Trying very strongly to not overreact – but another image of Eric with his head all wrapped up, lying unconscious in a hospital bed popped into her head and she felt tense again.

Ryan was telling one of his stories from the other day and as great as it was, she could care less.

"Hey Ryan can I talk to Eric for a second?" she asked nicely. She was surprised at how calm she sounded.

"Yeah just a minute," replied Ryan as he continued describing what was going on during his case.

"Ryan," she stated firmly, cold and dangerous. It stopped him mid-sentence and then he realized that maybe he should shut-up for good.

She closed the door behind him and silently cursed the lack of privacy due to the window walls. When she turned to face him she felt such a strong confluence of emotions that she didn't know where to begin, so she started from the top.

"Can you please explain what happened out there today?" she was trying very hard to not blow up; to not push him against the wall and knock him upside the head for sheer stupidity.

Eric looked at her and knew this wasn't going to end well. Her stance and the way she was trying to control her voice told him that he was proverbially screwed. Big time.

"We got out of the car and grabbed our kits, I saw the officer go ahead of us survey the scene and go in. I checked back to make sure you were coming and saw that you were walking towards the side, so I kept moving inwards. I thought I saw someone running around the corner at the opposite end of the house so I followed suit. When I turned the corner, I got smacked in the back of the head and fell to the ground, and then that kid came up behind me and started yelling and pointing his gun at my head. Then you showed up… and saved me."

The way he said the last part would have made her melt a little were it under normal circumstances, unfortunately, she was a fire spitting ball of fury at the moment. She took in his words and swallowed, slowly pacing a bit as she ran over what he just said in her head. Something… wasn't right.

"You said you thought you saw a suspect running to the far corner," she said as she stopped pacing, standing 10 feet in front of him, "right?"

"Yeah."

"Did you hear the 'all clear' before you went in?"

"Calleigh, there was a suspect. I went after him."

"What was the suspect wearing?"

"Why are you interrogating me?"

"Why are you lying to me?" she said loudly, her control starting to break. "I want the truth Eric, I deserve that much."

He looked at her and bit his lip; not wanting to tell her what was really going on. She was too… close to him. She might try to hold him back from doing his job. As she started moving closer he realized that he should probably say something, but with every step she took, he grew more inarticulate.

"He was wearing a blue shirt. A blue shirt and dark pants," Eric said truthfully. Calleigh had her head cocked to the side, examining him closely. She had one of the best B.S. meters this side of the Mississippi. She went along with what he was saying, though, choosing not to break up his explanation by going off track.

"Why do you think he was going to the far corner? Don't you think he would have led you away from where the trap-door was? Away from where the kids were being kept?"

Eric stopped for a second - aware that whatever he said next would probably seal his fate for a while.

"Maybe he was more concerned with getting away."

"You didn't see anyone else? No other kids?" she'd turned away by that point, started walking towards the far wall of the break room, keeping a table between them. He was wondering if she did that on purpose.

"No, just that one."

"Hmmm," she said thoughtfully. Something wasn't right. He knew her interrogation tactics pretty well, but right now, she had her poker face on, which normally meant that whoever she was talking to was about to get destroyed.

"Do you have anything else to add?" she asked him one more time. He wasn't sure if this was it, or if she was trying to give him a second chance. Weighing his odds carefully, he decided that playing dumb was the best way to go. It worked for his dad all the time.

"Mmmm nope, that's about it."

And that was it. That one sentence changed something between them, it took a bond that was strong and true and twisted it. For Calleigh, it broke her heart. She wanted him to own up to his problem, to what was really going on. She bent her head down and exhaled. All he had to do was tell her the truth. That was all. He might be afraid of what it meant for him professionally, but as far as she was concerned, the lack of trust on his part spoke volumes about the way he viewed their relationship.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" she repeated quietly.

"Of course," he said quickly. She nodded as he said this, but he was starting to get a little confused.

"I'm going to tell you what I and the other officer saw, and please, tell me where it was that you started to improvise."

"Calleigh-"

"I was getting my kit and I walked back to the front to get my light out of the charger. Officer Nunez went to the west side of the house after entering. I got twenty yards from the door frame when I saw you pull out your gun and start running towards the far corner of the house. You hit your head on an exposed pipe and fell onto the ground outside, which is when Chris, who was hiding in the tree across the ditch, hopped down and ran up behind you and held a gun to your head."

"Stop, Calleigh." But she refused. She charged on, her voice firm and unwavering.

"Officer Nunez couldn't get a good angle on Chris and the back-up unit was just getting to the other side of the building. Chris cocked the gun and had his finger on the trigger, ready to fire. We ordered him to drop his weapon, he refused, then I shot him in the arm and gave chase as he took off running in the opposite direction. Prior to that, not once, did Nunez clear us for entering, nor was there someone with a blue shirt and dark pants."

"Calleigh," he said again, trying to get her to stop.

"What, Eric!" she yelled, her anger getting the better of her. "When did you start hallucinating?" He didn't say anything, but looked at her with surprise. She glanced up at him and never before had he seen someone look so hurt and furious at the same time.

"This is the second time it's happened, Eric. Don't tell me it isn't happening. You did it when we had the kid with credit card debt and you did it today. I've talked to Alexx about it. And every symptom she's described, you've exhibited. When's it going to be enough, Eric? I just SHOT someone for you, and if necessary I would have taken a bullet."

"Calleigh, listen-"

"NO, Eric. You listen. I gave you your chance and you looked me in the eyes and lied to my face. What you did today was incredibly reckless, not only for you, but for Officer Nunez and myself. You need to take a step back, see a doctor, and re-examine your priorities. Because if you're willing to risk the lives of your co-workers due to fear of being placed on abbreviated duty, then…" she paused a moment, shaking her head and hating what she was about to say, "then I refuse to work with you until you can discern what is and is not reality, and I'll be damned if I let anyone else work with you either."

"You can't do that!" he shot back defensively. "H already knows Calleigh! He knows! It's Speedle. It was Speed I was chasing then, and it was Speed earlier today. He helped me find some evidence last time. And I have seen a doctor. The hallucinations aren't normal. but they're side-effects of my injury."

"Is following some image through a completely destroyed house, disregarding protocol and others around you, a side-effect? Is lying to your best friend a side effect? Is Horatio okay with you getting shot because you followed our dead colleague straight into the barrel of a gun…" she paused for a second, letting the moment catch up with them, "because I for one am not." Her voice cracked noticeably and he frowned, but couldn't offer her a response, especially not one she'd want to hear.

Calleigh stopped for a minute, her chest heaving and a knot in her throat that she just couldn't swallow. The way he was looking at her must have been the same way she was looking at him, and they were tearing each other apart. She started walking towards the door before she said something she knew she'd regret. With her hand on the knob, she paused one last time and looked back at him.

"I've stood by you through so much, Eric. And I'll stand by you through this. But what you did on scene earlier and just now, I don't…" she stopped again this time her voice cracking once more. She swallowed hard and gave him the saddest look he'd ever seen, "I don't know if I can forgive that."

Calleigh opened the door and walked down the hallway where all the images were blurred and swimming in front of her. She hadn't felt that level of frustration and anger in ages, and it made her hurt from the inside out. She slammed through the doors and was faced with the suffocating heat and stark brightness of the summer afternoon. It did nothing but intensify her feelings. Walking to the nearest wall obscured from view, she leaned against it and slid to the squatting position near the ground, happily out of sight of passersby. Head held tight in her hands she just went over what happened that day and she wanted it all to stop so badly and restart.

Did he really just lie to her? Why? Why did he feel the need to hide what was going on? Especially from her when she'd been nothing but supportive of his condition and progress. Why did it hurt so much? God, she always thought she'd be safe with him. Maybe that was her mistake. It wasn't the first time. Maybe he didn't feel like he could trust her after all that Jake business.

But why? It wasn't his place to begin with. She couldn't make heads or tails of the situation, but she figured there had to be a reason for him to hold back. At least she hoped so.

OOO

Eric had gone to see Kate shortly after getting off work, but left soon after, saying he had a headache. She showed ample concern and offered to take care of him, yet he turned her down, knowing the true source of his problem. He couldn't go another minute without making things right between him and Calleigh. His whole world felt a little of kilter and it showed.

He arrived at her house a half hour later and realized that without calling ahead, he had no idea if she was home. Walking up to the front door, he peered inside through a window and saw no evidence of her being at home. Figuring he might be there a while, he sought out the rocking chair sitting on her porch and took a seat, ready for a wait.

Hours crawled by and he got the opportunity to analyze the whole situation, the whole day. Every single minute replayed itself over and over in his head and he felt the tension in his body ebb and flow with each new thought.

Around eleven the pointed lights of Calleigh's car pulled into the drive and Eric suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He'd had this entire dialogue planned and now, faced with a barefooted Calleigh, he had nothing. He saw her hesitate upon seeing him on her front porch, then proceed forward as an infantryman would move towards battle, slow and stubborn. She was in different clothes and he wondered if she'd been out with Jake on a nice date. He couldn't see Jake taking her anywhere nicer than a Chili's, but maybe he had a trick up his sleeve.

Thunder sounded overhead and she looked to the sky, frowning a bit. She was glad she'd chosen to wear a dark blouse to dinner, knowing a wet t-shirt contest was not in order for the evening. She remained silent as she took a seat next to him on her front steps. Tossing her heeled shoes aside she took a deep breath and exhaled, looking at him for the first time that evening. Her face remained passive but she looked tired. After grappling with words to say, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"You look nice," he wanted to smack his head against the wall.

"Thanks. Celebratory dinner with my dad. He just won a big case."

They maintained the awkward silence for a few more minutes, both wishing they could dump their thoughts and bolt. Finally Eric bit the bullet and charged ahead.

"I had this whole, drawn-out explanation for you, but now I can't remember a word of it."

"How about you start from the beginning," she said quietly. The way she was acting was so unfamiliar to him that he wasn't sure how to respond. He decided to follow her directions.

"It only happens when I'm really stressed out, or I haven't been sleeping a lot lately, stuff like that. This was the second time it happened, though. And he's not there for the whole time, just for a little bit, imparts some wisdom and then he's gone. Today, I was so surprised to see him and I'd had so much success following him last time that I forgot what I should have done and let my excitement run away with me. I didn't think it would happen again after the first time, so when it did, I took off and… forgot my place, my job."

He was silent for a minute, his mind running over the many things he wanted to say, yet unable to articulate any of them in a cohesive fashion. Calleigh folded her knees up and braced her arms on them, looking small and harmless.

"What's it like? When you see him?" her voice was soft, a little ragged, but her tone conveyed her curiosity.

"He doesn't say a lot, just enough. It always has to do with the case."

"Does he look like he used to?"

"Yeah, he's not walking around in rags or rotting skin," he said with a hint of a smile.

"Eric," she admonished quietly, closing her eyes at the thought. "Do you… are you able to tell that he isn't real when it's happening?"

"I know he isn't real, but there's this part of me that is so happy to have him back that I hate to lose it. It's almost worth having to go through all of this just so I can see him."

She nodded in understanding, yet her lips were pursed together in contemplation.

"As great as it is though, you need to make the choice of whether you want to live the dream, or the reality," she said tentatively, turning her head to him. "Otherwise, it's too dangerous."

Eric understood what she was saying, but it wasn't what he wanted to hear. It was why he never told her about it in the first place. She was always the voice of reason, sticking to her guns regardless of whether or not it was the popular choice. He frowned as he picked at an invisible cuticle on his finger, not wanting to relinquish the only benefit he'd received out of his brain injury.

"Hey," she said, tapping his hand to break him from his thoughts. "I know it's not what you want to hear, and it's probably why you never told me to begin with," she said as she uncannily echoed his thoughts. "But it is a big deal Eric, and maybe you need a little help to sort out what all is going on up there," she said as she nodded to his head.

"I'll start seeing someone when you do," he said after a few moments, possibly getting a compromise out of the whole situation.

"Eric, I'm fine," Calleigh shot back, brushing her hand through her hair, messing it up a bit as she deflected her gaze to her lawn. He didn't respond, but merely gave her a look which stopped her cold. "What? I sleep better now, I used my gun today, and I don't shake as much."

"Calleigh," he said, much in the same way she'd said to him earlier. "I know it's not what _you_ want to hear, but you've got all the symptoms of PTSD. I know; because I talked to Alexx too, so don't think you're the only clever one here."

He watched her clench and unclench her jaw, not happy with being talked about and having her fears exposed. He wasn't sure whether she was going to ignore him or slap him, but at this point, he'd take the slap. Drawing upon earlier actions, Eric raised his hand and lightly touched her chin, tipping it towards him.

"Please don't stay mad at me, I don't think I can stand it," he said morosely, giving her his best puppy dog look.

She sighed at him at pulled his hand away, but kept holding on. "Don't give me those eyes, Delko. They don't work on me."

"Nothing works on you," he quoted, recalling their conversation the other night when they were dancing.

"At least you're learning," she replied smartly. They remained quiet for a few moments longer while he cast weary looks in her direction, wondering when she'd pull her hand away.

"Calleigh," he said seriously. "I'll go talk to a therapist if you do too. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she said to him, though it seemed as though she were saying it to herself also. She remained silent and he was still unsure whether or not she was going to compromise, but he caught her looking down at their hands and wanted to know so badly what she was thinking. She then retracted her hand though he thought it probably wasn't right of him to want to reach out to get it back.

"About earlier… I," he paused, unsure of where to take it, "I wasn't trying to withhold the truth from you. I just…"

Calleigh started shaking her head and he stopped, glancing at her carefully. She seemed so closed off to him just then; he feared that perhaps he'd blown his chance. For good.

"All those times I said I trusted you I assumed it went both ways. Maybe I haven't been that good of a friend to you lately or maybe I haven't given you enough reason to trust me as much as I trusted you. So, I apologize for that, you deserve better."

He didn't know what to say, the worst part was catching the past tense of trust. He definitely wasn't expecting her to apologize and was almost baffled at where she was getting it from. Self deprecation had never been apart of Calleigh's repertoire, so for her to be admitting this conveyed the sense that she felt wholly to blame.

"Cal you couldn't be any more wrong," he said with a sigh. "I just screwed up, that's all. I'm a guy. My dad does it all the time. Not everything is as bad and as serious as you make it out to be. Seriously, you gotta believe me."

Eric was standing now, facing her and completely exasperated in only the way she could make him. He likened it to running 60 mph into a wall head-first.

"You drive me so crazy sometimes!" he exclaimed.

"Me?" she replied, completely surprised. "What'd I do?"

"Nothing… Everything," he said with a sigh. Clasping his fingers behind his head, he ignored the rain that splattered lightly on his shoulders and face.

"Glad you could clear that up for me," she said snarkily as she too got up, moving to pick up her shoes. "Look, you're tired, I'm tired, let's call it a day."

"I'm not leaving until I know you aren't going to treat me differently tomorrow."

"How can I not, Eric? Things _are_ different." _Oh he had no idea._

"No they really aren't. I screw up, you put me in my place, I apologize and we move on like always, it's that simple."

"I don't… I can't- " she was looking down, rain started to soak her hair.

"Why? Why is it so different this time?" he took hold of her shoulders and was looking her squarely in the face, searching her eyes for an irretrievable explanation. "You know, Annie said that you 'love hard'. That once someone gets into your heart, you love them forever, to a fault. She said it was your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. I'm not asking you to love me more than a friend, but I'm at least asking you to care enough to consider the possibility, Calleigh. I know I've been rotten sometimes, but you are the most important person in my life. You really are my best friend, and I can't thank you enough for what you did today. But if you're just going to let our friendship dissolve because I can be an idiot," he paused again, taking a deep breath, "then you're not who I thought you were."

Eric turned and started walking to his car, pulling his wet shirt away from his skin. He shoved his hand into his pocket, searching for his keys. Instead of coming here to feel better, he just felt confused and conflicted. Why did it have to be so hard?

Calleigh watched him walk to his car and wanted to run after him and grab his hands, to bring him back inside and let him dry off. But her life wasn't some romantic fairy tale. It was real and the problem was that her afternoon had been entirely too tumultuous and mind-shattering for her to absorb in a few hours. Maybe Eric could roll with the punches, but she needed time to understand what was going on, she couldn't just have the greatest revelation in her life and be okay with it and its implications.

Earlier that afternoon, she'd returned to the building and was in firearms, cleaning up after working three cases at once. Instead of focusing on what was plaguing her mind and heart, she was scrubbing the countertop with a vengeance. Then all of a sudden, she thought mindlessly of one thing and all hell broke loose.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they make a sudden realization that takes them completely off guard and sends them into a tail-spin. The thoughts and feelings may have always been there, or at least steadily growing in nature. But being confronted by them all at once is overwhelming, in the most frightening of ways.

Standing there at no particular place, doing no particular activity, Calleigh felt her heart skip a beat. Calleigh closed her eyes and her hands covered her face as though they could hide the revelation from the brightness of day.

In that moment Calleigh was bombarded by images of Eric: smiling at her, laughing with a twinkle in his eye, anger and frustration when they had their most unfriendly exchange to date, caring, courage, fear, and sorrow... the images were relentless and she was powerless to stop them. She could describe this feeling similar to that of being bludgeoned with a sledgehammer of emotion. For one as inept as she with these types of feelings, Calleigh did not know what to do. Finally taking a seat, she let out a low, haggard breath and felt as though the veil lifted from her eyes had been replaced by a leaden yoke around her neck. These were unwelcome feelings, ones that she never ever wanted to surface, ones that had remained bottled up for far too long.

Calleigh was surprised to find her cheek moist with tears she didn't know had fallen and was overcome by the sheer implications of her conundrum. She'd already turned him down. He was already happy with someone else. Ultimately, she'd blown her shot. But was it her fault really? She'd always reasoned with herself that it was always a fleeting attraction, that they flirted with each other because it was fun, that first and foremost they were friends and all else came second.

In the blink of an eye, friendship seemed so petty to her, so lifeless. It lacked the color and passion a full and loving relationship between two people could imbue. Calleigh stood up immediately, ready to take on the world, and then sat down just as fast, realizing how many problems she now faced. There was no pretty way to look at the situation. She screwed up. And now she would pay the price by watching Eric skip along happily towards marital bliss, hand-in-hand with Kate. She felt nauseous at the thought. Had Eric felt this way when she was with Jake? There was no way. No possible way could someone feel this much for another person and not spontaneously combust.

The next half hour involved Calleigh going through the gamut of emotions contained within as she weighed her odds, continuing to do the stand up, sit down routine with each new revelation. Any passerby might wonder about the small woman pacing back and forth in firearms, clearly distressed by something. By the time she had come to a decision, it was well after quitting time and she was greeted with the bleak heaviness of night to share in her distraught state of mind as she exited the building heading towards dinner with her father.

And that evening, as she watched Eric drive away in the rain, she longed to call him so badly. To pour out her heart and tell him what a fool she'd been. But there was no way, she wasn't the type of person to just open up like that, to expose so much of herself. It didn't help that they'd had their worst fight to date earlier.

Calleigh trudged into her house, wondering how she could reconcile all the crazy things going on within her mind and heart. Morning seemed so far away to her, and the night so dreadful and cold.

Because it wasn't every day that she realized she was in love with her best friend.

O-O-O

A/N: I had a completely different cliff-hanger written and it took me two days to decide whether to keep it. Instead you have this… giant piece of possible garbage.

I wanted to write about the brain injury because I feel the show did a shoddy job of explaining the possible consequence of what is potentially a very dangerous issue. It also let me sort of jump-shock Calleigh into luuuuurve.


	17. Ultimate!

O-O-O

Title: A Summer to Remember

Part 16: 16

Pairing: E/C

Rating: T which may progress to wannabee M

Summary: The summer kicks off with Horatio in the hospital, Calleigh in charge and UST making humidity a thing of the past.

Spoilers: Up to the one before poor Alexx leaves. Idiots.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. CBS and the other dolts do. Annie and Kate are all mine.

A/N: THE END! For those of you who have been reading the whole thing, I'd like to inform you that you've read about 400 pages of nonsense, so congratulations!

For when she finally reads this, I'd like to thank Somethingsdont and her sage advice. Also, thank you all for the reviews and the comments. This has taken a year of blood and sweat to write, but it was all worth it. Last but not least, ENJOY!!

O-O-O

The next few days moved along like always. Calleigh and Eric had no cases together and whenever they did interact, it was brief and professional. Eric felt uncertain as to where he stood with Calleigh – she gave no indication as to what was on her mind. He figured she was retreating into herself and it worried him, but he didn't feel confident enough to broach the topic.

For Calleigh, she was at a loss as to what she should do. On one hand she just wanted to let him know how she felt, but she didn't have enough courage to do that. On the other hand, she wanted to keep it to herself for the rest of her life because he was clearly happy with Kate. There was no way she'd mess that up for him, she wasn't _that_ selfish.

What resulted was a tentative awkwardness. Calleigh couldn't decide what she wanted to say, so she kept it professional and as a result, was mostly quiet around him. Eric was too afraid to do much, so he just tried to stay out of her way, transferring that time to a welcoming Kate.

Everything would have been fine if no one else noticed, but there was a marked difference in their exchanges. Natalia noticed it, but wisely didn't say anything. Ryan also noticed it, but didn't have the sense to keep his mouth shut.

"Hey uh, what's up with you and Cal?"

"What do you mean?"

"She's so… quiet. All the time. I've made her angry before, but she's never stayed mad at me for that long. Geez, Delko, what'd you do?"

"Nothing happened, Ryan," Eric said a little too forcefully.

"Happened where?" asked Calleigh as she walked into the break room. Both guys looked up at her like they hand their hands caught in the cookie jar.

"Uh, uh nothin'" said Ryan and Eric simultaneously. Calleigh nodded, not believing them.

"Right," she said doubtfully. "Are y'all hungry? I'm meeting Alexx at the café for lunch if y'all want to join."

On cue, Eric's stomach growled conspiringly and he grinned sheepishly. Lunch it was. They trio rode down the elevator talking like nothing was wrong, and it was such an odd contrast to the way things had been lately. Eric wondered if Calleigh was over her funk. But when his hand accidentally brushed against hers, she quickly crossed her arms, keeping her hands out of dodge. Maybe she wasn't.

Before the three reached the doors, a gentleman standing by reception called out to Calleigh.

"Hey Blondie," he said with a smile and Calleigh paused for a second and did a double take. It wasn't Cory, but he looked awfully familiar.

"Simon?"

"Do I really look that different?"

"Oh my goodness," she wrapped him into an embrace and pulled away, inspecting him closely. "Yes, I can actually see your eyes and you have skin on that face, you look wonderful!"

And he did. Compared to his former looks of shoulder length scraggly hair, ragged beard and perpetual air of gloom, he had short hair, clean-shaven face and those brilliant, ice blue eyes that she could look at.

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself," he said with a smile as he looked over to Ryan and Eric, both a little curious as to whom this guy was.

"Simon, these are my co-workers, Ryan and Eric. Simon is one of the CSIs from Atlanta."

"What brought you all the way from Atlanta?" asked Eric, a little strongly. He didn't like the way Simon kept looking at Calleigh. Like they had a little secret or something.

"My sister, actually. She just gave birth four days ago to a beautiful little girl and then spent the other three days trying to clean me up."

"Well she did a fine job," said Calleigh with a smile. "What brings you over here though? Finally taking me up on that lunch offer?"

"You bet, I figured I'd stop by before my flight tonight. See what this lab has to offer and everything."

"Thinking of a change perhaps?" asked Ryan as he crossed his arms.

"Something like that," he said evasively. "So, where shall we go?"

"Guys? Do you mind if I back out? As great as our café is, I'd rather not expose him to county food."

"No problem. Go on ahead," said Eric, shrugging as he and Ryan said goodbye to Simon, assuring Calleigh that they'd apologize to Alexx for her.

Calleigh led Simon to her car and she took him on a short trip to another local favorite, smiling to the hostess as they grabbed a table under a breezy fan overlooking a dock.

"I heard about Mossimo transferring to Chicago, how is the lab holding up?"

"We're fine. We've got an interim supervisor for the time being. It's no big deal though; we're all pretty used to being self-sufficient."

"Yeah, I gathered that when I was there. How're Ashton and Luke?"

"Great as always," said Simon with a warm smile. "Ashton got a little sick for a while and Cory was in his own version of hysterics for a few days, but she got better. Now he's returned to normal… somewhat."

"As normal as Cory can be?"

"Exactly," said Simon as he took a sip of his water, eyes running over the menu. "So, how is it down here?"

"Are you actually looking for a change?"

"Not sure," said Simon as he took another sip of his water and gave Calleigh a goofy smile.

Conversation continued on and they both found that they were having a good time. Each shared stories of their co-workers, Simon even sharing one of his late-fiancé that was so funny it brought tears to Calleigh's eyes. As their plates were cleared away Calleigh frowned as she realized she'd have to return to work, not looking forward to the task. She'd had a rough couple of days and this had been a welcome reprieve.

Calleigh pulled into the parking spot next to Simon's rental car and climbed out, walking to the back of her car. As she leaned against the tail end, she listened to Simon enthusiastically describe a new Trace technology they were bringing into his lab.

"That's crazy," she said after he finished. "How much is it going to cost y'all?"

"Oh they don't show the lowly peons how much this stuff costs, but I've heard upwards of 2.3 million."

"All for a device that can fit into your pocket," she replied as she shook her head to herself. He stood before her and looked sad about leaving, obviously thinking about something else.

"Before I go, I forgot to show you something," said Simon slowly as he popped the trunk of the car next to them. He reached into his slim computer bag and pulled out a folder, eyeing it warily. He turned to Calleigh and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked with confusion.

"Open it and find out."

She gave him a wary look and slowly opened the folder, biting her lip as her eyes flew over the first lines of the letter enclosed within. It was a very… lucrative offer (by county standards) of employment.

"Is this what you really came here for?"

"No, my sister really did have her baby. But they figured me hand delivering the offer would look a lot better than you getting it in the mail."

"I don't… I don't know what to say," said Calleigh.

"Say that you'll think about it," said Simon a little desperately. "The administration at the lab wants you there and in a bad way. Plus Cory nearly killed me when he found out I was the one coming down here to bring you the offer."

"Is he the one responsible for this?"

"I'm not sure. But I know everyone liked you, you've built up a great reputation, and we could definitely use some good leadership around there, Calleigh."

She read over the rest of the information enclosed with in and found herself a little surprised. This was a big… big deal.

"What do you think?"

"I'm… flattered?" sputtered Calleigh. "I'm sorry; this wasn't what I was expecting at all."

"Just promise me that you'll think about it."

"I will, I promise."

"Listen, I've got to head out so I can go wait in a two hour line at the airport. Thanks for lunch Calleigh, I had a great time."

"Thank you, and thanks for this," she said as she held up the folder.

Simon climbed into his vehicle and turned it on, rolling the window down.

"Oh, Calleigh?"

"Yeah?"

"They want your final answer two weeks from today; otherwise the job is going to this idiot from Seattle."

"Two Weeks?!"

"Yeah I know, sorry about the short notice. Just give me or Cory a ring if you have any questions."

"Thanks, see you later," she waved good bye as Simon backed out of his spot and headed towards the exit.

Two weeks. A lot could happen in two weeks.

O-O-O

That Saturday had been rough for both Calleigh and Eric, having spent the whole day working on a case that involved the stabbing of a 22-year old firefighter. What was worse was Calleigh was the one who had to break the news to the parents, long after the hospital should have notified the family.

Eric brought Calleigh back to his house for dinner, where everyone seemed to want to meet up for a grill-out. As soon as she walked through the door, she felt ill-at-ease, acutely aware of how Eric and Kate were interacting. For the firs ten minutes Natalia and Horatio were talking at the table while Ryan kept trying to get Calleigh a drink. Regardless, none of the activity was enough to distract her.

Relations between her and Eric had gotten increasingly tense lately, to the point where Natalia was seriously contemplating broaching the topic with Calleigh. At the moment Natalia was watching them both talk at the counter and she wanted so badly to get them to actually talk things out. The problem was that she could see Kate throwing glances in their direction too, and she knew that the little teacher would be upping her game that night.

Calleigh got a phone call from one of the night techs, saying that she'd want to come in and check out some results. Internally, Calleigh was grateful to leave because it was physically painful to be there. She'd never experienced this type of situation before, wanting another woman's boyfriend. Watching them interact, laugh and touch, it felt like a sucker punch in the face each and every time. Maybe that's how Eric felt when she was with Jake, but she doubted it.

Beating a hasty retreat, Calleigh quickly said her goodbyes to her sorrowful co-workers and headed out. She was hoping not to even have to say goodbye to Eric, but he caught her as she was exiting his house.

"Cal?" called Eric as he walked onto his porch. "Can't you just grab a burger first?"

"I'm not all that hungry Eric, I'm drained more than anything. Thanks though," she said quietly, smiling at his sincerity. Laughter from inside brought their attention inwards.

"She's a pretty girl," said Calleigh as she nodded towards Kate who was laughing with Horatio. Eric looked over there and smiled as he watched Kate, and Calleigh could see how much he cared for her. Feeling her chest constrict a little, she took in a steady breath.

"Listen, thanks for dinner, I'm sorry I've got to head out so early. Thank Kate for me, and tell everyone I'm sorry," she said with a sad smile.

Eric looked at her closely and she was afraid he could read her thoughts. Instead he just rested a caring hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"You sure you're alright? I can come with you if you want," he offered, but she could tell he wanted to stay and enjoy the evening with their co-workers.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'm just going to help them get some of the paperwork filled out and see if we got any more hits from that knife."

"Okay, but you better give me a call if you need some help," said Eric as he waved goodbye to her as she turned and started back to her car.

Just as she was leaving she looked back in time to see Kate come to the door for Eric, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him in. Calleigh huffed out a haggard breath as she returned for a long night at the lab. She wasn't sure how much longer she could pretend that everything was okay. Professionally and personally…

o-o-o

By Monday Calleigh and Jeff had bonded forces once again and found the murderer, much to Eric's dismay. She knew he wanted a part of it, but it was his weekend off, and Kate kept him at home. One guess told everyone how.

As Eric walked down the hall he couldn't help but play over the images of the weekend in his head. They hadn't even left his bedroom at all on Sunday. Ryan spotted him from across the lab and called him on it.

"Unbelievable," said Ryan with a roll of his eyes. "How long did you wait until after we left?"

"She was taking my belt off as I was closing the door."

"Ha, nice," said Ryan as they walked into their offices, dropping his bag down. "So, how was it?"

Calleigh froze. She was in the break room right next to their office and could hear everything they were saying. She would give her right arm to be able to get the files off her desk without being noticed. Hell, she'd give her favorite gun away. Not that it held the same value to her anyway. She just wanted to get to her meeting without being psychologically scarred.

"Come on man, you know I don't play and tell."

"Since when? The Eric I know used to give a play-by-play."

"When's the last time I did that?"

"Well, uh…" Calleigh could actually feel Ryan racking his brain. "I guess uh…nevermind."

"Working hard I see?" said Natalia as she breezed in, dropping her bag and booting up her computer.

"If boys knew how to work hard, they wouldn't need us," said Calleigh as she came in with her steaming cup of coffee, careful not to burn herself.

"You got that right," said Natalia with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm heading out to court, wish me luck," said Eric as he tightened his tie and grabbed his brief case.

"Good luck," echoed after him as he walked down the hall, feeling like he owned the world.

The sight that met him as he was leaving the building, however, was something unexpected.

Kissing a not-so-properly dressed young woman was Jake Berkley, in all his rugged glory. Feeling instantly protective, Eric did his deed as best friend.

"Jake? What are you doing man?" asked Eric as he pulled Jake away from the leggy brunette he was with.

"I'm taking my girl out to breakfast, Delko," said Jake as he pulled Eric's hand off his arm. "What are _you _doing?"

At Eric's dumbfounded look Jake couldn't help but laugh. "Oh man, she didn't tell you? This just takes the cake. We broke up Eric. A month ago."

"Oh, right."

"This is great, seriously. And I thought you were so gone on her."

"I have a girlfriend. There's nothing, between us. At all."

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. Listen, let me warn you about Calleigh. She is the sweetest thing on earth, but once she's done with you, there's no hope. She waits 'til you're completely gone on her then she drops you like you're hot. Whatever happens, do not give in. She's a maneater, Delko," said Jake as he headed back to his girlfriend, pulling on his sunglasses. "Pure evil."

Eric stood there, thrown for a loop. Why didn't she tell him they'd broken up? She'd been single? All this time? Eric fought hard not to punch the wall as he turned around and headed to court.

O-O-O

Late Tuesday afternoon and Mel walked over and personally delivered Eric's sandwich and Calleigh's salad, telling them they needed to get out more. Both muttered their thanks as they continued to look through old cases, searching for a link with their current case. Occasionally they welcomed a case like this, one that made them think, but at the time, they were both ready for a break.

"When's the last time we ate? I can't even remember," asked Eric as he took a large bite out of his sandwich.

"Saturday? Maybe?" stated Calleigh as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, tucking loose strands behind her ear. Eric watched as she did this, her thoughts elsewhere. Though she was a little more talkative, she was still quiet and he couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be permanent.

"Cal?" asked Eric as he swallowed a mouthful of fries.

"Yes?" she asked as she stole a couple fries from his plate, dodging his swatting hand.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Jake broke up?"

She paused with her fork in the air and he watched her sigh. "The same reason I never told you we were together, Eric. It was none of your business."

"You could have at least saved me from making a fool out of myself."

"What? Did something happen?"

"Yeah I ran into Jake and his latest squeeze yesterday and tried to defend your honor."

"Oh, sorry," said Calleigh as she never thought of that possibility. "Thank you?"

"It just, it would have been nice to know, that's all."

Calleigh nodded and took another bite of her salad, wishing that they'd already had this awkward conversation and that it was behind them. Unfortunately, there was no such hope.

"Are we… okay?"

Calleigh froze and looked up at him. She could say yes, but that wouldn't be entirely true. She could say no and that wouldn't be entirely true either. She could say sorta, but then he'd keep asking. Frowning slightly, she knew she would say yes, because it was true as far as he was concerned.

"Yes?" damn, that didn't sound as strong as she wanted it to. "I mean, this week has been a growing experience for us both, so I think all in all, we're fine."

There. That had to cover all the bases. She was golden. But she could tell he wasn't satisfied. This was a little nerve-wracking. She hadn't prepared for this conversation yet, so whatever direction he was going to take this, she would evade him at all costs.

"Really? Because, you've been really quiet around me lately, I just wondered if it was something I did."

"Other than lie to me? Nothing," she shot back with a smile. She was trying to be playful but it was not coming across the way she hoped. At his frown, she figured she was 0-2 right now. Fine, she could at least offer him something, some form of certainty to keep him complacent.

"Seriously, nothing's wrong, there's just a lot going on right now."

"Like what?"

_Like me realizing I'm in love with you. Like me getting offered a job over 600 miles away. Like you having sex with Kate and walking around here like you own the sun. Like me losing my best friend._

Wow, where did that come from? She needed to lay off the coffee. Pushing her cup away she looked up to an expectant Eric and realized she still hadn't answered. Great.

"Let me ask you a question," said Calleigh, "and I want you to be completely honest, don't hold anything back."

Eric quirked his eyebrows at her, a little intrigued, a little nervous.

"Are you happy?"

Surprised by her question, Eric shrugged, not understanding the importance of the question she was asking.

"In certain ways, yes, but the question you're asking is multi-faceted. I can't just give you a flat out response and have it convey the meaning I want."

Calleigh considered this and nodded. He was much more thoughtful now than he used to be. She gave him a sad smile and took a sip of her water.

They continued to talk, but conversation steered clear of the direction they were headed for most of their meal. Stomachs full and feeling renewed, the pair pulled out their folders again and resumed their research. Well, Calleigh did.

But Eric couldn't get Calleigh's question out of his head. _Was he happy?_ He definitely wasn't unhappy, that was for sure. Professionally, his career was going well, regardless of the fact that his wages were garnished or that he couldn't always remember everything. Personally, he couldn't complain either. His parents were healthy, his sisters were… crazy, and Mateo was running around saying he'd found the love of his life. And Eric? He had Kate. She was funny and smart and caring. She had this laugh that just thinking of it made him smile, and long, lovely legs. He loved her legs. What was best was that she was so open with her feelings, he always knew where he stood with her, and it felt so comforting.

Calleigh looked up at Eric and caught him staring off into space, smiling to himself. For crying out loud! She felt like getting a glass of water and splashing him in the face. He could at least have the decency to daydream about his girlfriend in the car or somewhere… other than right next to her.

A loud snap brought Eric's attention back to earth as he saw Calleigh stuffing some folders into her bag, looking like she was leaving. He was confused. What was going on?

"What are you doing?"

"Putting the files away," Calleigh stated obviously.

"I have an answer to your question, but I'll only give it to you if you answer mine," offered Eric in an attempt to get her to stop. Calleigh rolled her eyes at him and sighed. She didn't fall for these sort of bribes.

"Okay, fine. Answer away," well, not normally.

"Professionally, I'm content, I don't always feel like I'm back one hundred percent, as you saw last week. Personally, I think I'm finally reaching a point in my life where I can be satisfied with what I have, that I don't always have to wonder what else is out there."

Calleigh nodded, thinking he'd given a thoughtful and sound response.

"Now, and I want complete honesty too," said Eric as he hunched forward a bit. "Are _you_ happy?"

Calleigh laughed at first, shaking her head at his question. Why did she always set herself up for these situations?

Eric studied her as she thought for a moment, noticing how a frown slowly crept over her features. He wasn't expecting a wonderfully happy answer, but he wasn't expecting this either.

"Professionally?" asked Calleigh, knowing that she couldn't be completely honest without revealing her news. She wasn't quite ready to disclose that yet. "Professionally I'm okay."

Fighting hard not to look alarmed, Eric quietly asked her to elaborate, "just okay?"

"It's just that," she wanted to tell him so badly. "It's just that I don't know if I want to be a CSI for the rest of my life. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but lately I've seen that the job isn't everything. It's a harsh reality to face but now that I have, I'm realizing that I don't really have much else in my life going for me right now."

"That's dumb, you have a lot going for you."

"No, no I really don't," she said with a frown. If she could pack up her bags and leave tomorrow, knowing Eric was happy, she would. But she'd regret passing up the opportunity to tell him how she felt for the rest of her life.

She looked at him and knew that this was _the _time to tell him about her feelings. Nothing romantic about this place, but when had she ever been conventional? Her heart rate was speeding up substantially. Swallowing deeply, she continued.

"Eric, I have something I need to tell you," she began slowly. She wasn't looking him in the eyes now, and her fingers were busy, working her cup around in circles.

Eric frowned. He'd rarely ever seen her act like this before, and when she did, it was never good. What if she was sick?

"Wait," he interrupted, bracing himself for the worst. "Are you sick? Is there a health problem I need to know about?"

Calleigh looked up and smiled demurely, noting the obvious concern in his eyes.

"No, nothing like that."

"Oh, okay. Spit it out then, the suspense is killing me."

Calleigh rolled her eyes at his typical earnestness, knowing that this could go one of two ways. She really hoped it would go in her favor. She wasn't sure she could handle much more.

"Remember your cookout a couple months ago?"

"Yeah…" he said hesitantly. Where was she going with this? Of course he remembered it; he often played it over in his head, wondering what he should have done differently.

"And the uh, the conversation we had on the beach that night?"

He merely nodded this time. He was watching her now, very closely. He could see the blush creeping up her neck and the way her hands shook a little, turning the cup more quickly now. It was distracting him to the point that he reached out and placed his hand on top of the cup to stop her nervous motions.

She looked up at him meekly, breaking her stare from the cup.

"I think I was wrong," she whispered.

"About what?"

"Pretty much all of it."

"I uh, I don't, what?"

"I think I let my need to maintain our friendship cause me deny how I actually felt about you. And somewhere along the way, it sort of… well, I have feelings for you, Eric, the not friendly ones."

She finished quickly, her voice still low and quiet, and she felt so hot, all over and knew she was blushing. She felt like she was in high school and Eric was her first crush, the quarterback. All too suddenly, the reality of what she just said hit her, and she immediately wished she could take it all back. Those words. Those irretrievable words. Fighting the urge to leap up and exit, she chanced a glance at Eric, who looked stunned and completely at a loss for words

Just then his phone started to ring, but he didn't answer it and it went to voicemail. Silence hung in the air between them, and he just sat there, his mouth slightly open. His phone started to ring for the second time, and he finally broke his dumbfounded stare and looked at his phone, frowning when he saw that it was Kate.

Calleigh pursed her lips as Eric answered the phone, trying to ignore the fact that she'd just done the craziest thing in her life thirty seconds ago. Did she really just say that? Maybe he missed it. Maybe she said it so fast that he didn't catch all of what she said.

"Yeah, I'll be right there to pick you up."

Eric closed his phone and looked slightly worried. Calleigh was surprised at the change in his manner and asked him what was wrong.

"Uh, Kate was playing kickball with her kids and broke her foot running for the ball. I have to get her from the hospital."

Eric was in concerned boyfriend mode, his mind completely off of Calleigh's confession. Watching him shove the files in his bag, Calleigh couldn't decide if she should be happy or angry that he was leaving. On one hand, this awful situation was over, on the other, he was leaving her to go take care of his GIRLFRIEND.

"Listen, I know we were uh, well you were, yeah I dunno. But I have to go," said Eric as he drew the strap onto his shoulder and turned to go. He had no idea what to say. Fear and surprise drove him more than anything.

"Do you need any help? Are sure everything's alright?" Calleigh offered as she too got out of her chair, facing Eric warily.

"Positive," said Eric. "We can finish this some other time, right?"

"Actually, we're done. Go! See you later!" she said as she pushed him towards the door.

"Great," she said to herself as she sat back down, completely miserable. "Atlanta 1, Miami 0."

"Hey kid," called Mel from his lofty perch at the bar. "Give him time, he'll come around. He'd be a crazy not to." Mel gave her an aged smile and a tip of his glass to which she smirked at fruitlessly.

She just told Eric that she had feelings for him and he just left, essentially choosing his girlfriend over her. She couldn't blame him though, it was for his girlfriend. Goodness, how selfish could she be? Kate just broke her foot. Unfortunately, Calleigh realized that maybe her decision to move to Atlanta wouldn't be all that hard.

O-O-O

Calleigh sat on her back porch in the dark, poking herself in the cheek with her phone antenna. She'd debated calling Annie about five different times and now, now she was completely at a loss for what to do. Taking in a deep breath, she dialed the number and her brother picked up. She asked for Annie and exhaled, realizing she'd been holding her breath.

"When did it hit you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Honey, you only call me on Sundays. This is _not_ a Sunday. Were you at work or were you just staring into his gloriously dark eyes?"

"Annie!"

"Aren't they just lovely though? I have to stare at these awful green eyes when I want some love," Calleigh could practically hear Tommy smirking on the other end.

"Hey! You be nice to those green eyes, missy," said Calleigh.

"Back to you. Have you told him yet?"

"Annie, shut up, that's not why I called."

"Then what?"

"I got offered a job."

"What! Where?"

"Atlanta. Remember Cory Anderson? I'm pretty sure he's trying to get me up there."

"What are you going to do?"

"That's what I called you for, Ms. Know-it-all."

"Oh no. No, no. I'm not falling for that one."

"What?"

"You just want me to affirm what you're already thinking. Have you told Eric how you feel?"

"Sort of…"

"Either you did or you didn't. There's no half-way."

"Well…You know how I ramble when I get nervous sometimes?"

"You haven't rambled since you were twelve."

"Exactly! I just sort of blurted out that I have feelings for him."

"That's it? What did he do?"

"He went to pick up Kate from the hospital."

"Oh no! Is she okay? What happened?"

"Kick ball game, foot fracture. She's fine though."

"Good, good. But what now?"

"Annie, he had sex with her this weekend. Lots of it, apparently."

"So? Couples do that."

"You don't understand. The old Eric would have done that by the second date. Hell, he'd have dumped her by now. But it's different. He's different. He made sure he was good and ready before he had sex with her. And now he's smiling all the time and it makes me physically sick."

"Oh shut it honey, it's just because he's finally getting laid."

"So here's my problem, I have less than two weeks to decide."

"You're seriously considering it?"

"Think about it Ann, I tell him that I love him - "

"Oooooh! You said it! You dropped the L-bomb!"

"How old are you again? Anyway, I tell him I… love him and he says, Sorry, then I'm stuck in Miami watching Eric fall in love and make little Erics. Or I can take the job and get out of here and start over."

"You're missing one thing Cal, what if he feels the same way?"

"Did you just ignore the part where I said he's practically in love with his girlfriend?"

"This is so weird, you being in this position. Calleigh, you've never been uncertain about a thing in your life, why start now? Tell him how you feel. You know that if your friendship is as strong as you say it is, then regardless of his answer, you'll stay friends no matter what."

"I know. But will he understand if I need to move? If I need to get away?"

"Calleigh. Stop worrying. Tell him how you really feel, and do it soon. Otherwise, he's going to get deeper in his relationship, and maybe you will lose your chance."

O-O-O

Midmorning on Wednesday, and Calleigh had decided she wouldn't tell Eric. She'd breeze over what she said the previous night, chalk it up to hormones, and then move on. She really couldn't handle rejection at that time.

Calleigh and Eric were standing around in the break room, debating how exactly their suspect managed to get a 210 lb man up on a ledge all by herself. Ryan walked in quickly, looking overly concerned and a little peeved.

"Calleigh, can I ask you a question?" asked Ryan as he rested his hands on his hips, Caine-style.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Well, I just heard from three different people that the lab in Atlanta has asked you to be their Super. Now I'm not trying to add fuel to the fire, but I'd at least like to know if there is any substance to this rumor."

It was like time stood still and everything moved in slow motion. Glancing from Ryan to the ceiling, Calleigh wished for it to open up so she could fly away. Her head then swiveled over to Eric who automatically reacted in the worst way possible. Expected, but not wholly warranted.

"Is it true?" asked Eric quietly.

"Guys, this is not really something I'm willing to talk about right now."

"I can't believe it!" said Ryan, completely crestfallen. "Did you accept?"

"Ryan!" Calleigh was pissed, all there was to it.

"Simon was just visiting his sister? Bullshi-" Eric repeated with disdain in his voice. He tossed the file on the table and left the room, leaving a speechless Calleigh and a confused Ryan in his wake.

Calleigh closed her eyes and sighed to herself, wishing for the hundredth time that this place wasn't so inquisitive. She turned around and shot Ryan a death glare and followed Eric out the door, peering down the hallway to see what direction he went in. Odd how much the tables had turned recently.

"Eric," she called after him, but he shook his head as he reached the end of the hall, punching through the doors and becoming enveloped by the sunlight. Calleigh took a deep breath and followed after, knowing this wasn't going to be a pretty conversation when all was said and done.

As she exited the doors she climbed the stairs that led to the third-floor terrace that was thankfully uninhabited for the time being. She reached the platform and saw Eric pacing back-and-forth, clearly angry. He stopped when he caught sight of her, but merely gave her a grimace and waved his hand at her, willing her away.

Calleigh didn't back off though, she couldn't. She knew he wouldn't take this news well, no matter what happened the prior evening. Taking a few steps closer, she called his name one more time, this time a bit softer, getting him to stop. When he turned to look at her again she could see anger and confusion in his eyes and she wanted so much for him to understand, for him to know why she was in this position. Maybe he really did comprehend what she said last night.

"Atlanta? Calleigh?" he said vehemently. "Is it true?"

"Yes."

"Were you going to tell me or was I supposed to show up one day and have the janitor tell me you left?"

"I haven't even accepted yet! And why can't you be happy for me? Why is it such a problem?"

"Maybe because we had that conversation last night. You know what? Why not accept the offer? Why haven't you sent in the letter? Were you waiting for the right time?"

"Eric, you don't understand."

"So wait, did you mean what you said last night? Any of it? Or did you figure if stuff didn't work out with me, you were just going to pack your bags and hit the road?"

"That's not it," she said quietly, stopping so he could get his rant out.

"Right! Or were you just going to see if I'd destroy the one good thing going in my life for you? See maybe if you could have sex with me a couple times before leaving? Or would you stick around? Maybe stay and subject me to one of your self-destructive relationships that you pull out of when it starts to get too serious?" He paced like a lion, and she was certain she hadn't seen him this angry in a while.

"Well, I've got news for you Calleigh, I am not your guy. And I won't just lie down and let you run me over. I can't believe you!" he was still fuming and kept pacing. Calleigh was somewhat glad for the space between them, otherwise the hurtful words might have provoked her into lashing out in a less than professional way.

"That's not fair Eric," said Calleigh sternly, finding the need to defend herself a little bit at least. The pager at her side began to vibrate frantically, yet she ignored it, not ready to leave the conversation.

"Not FAIR?" said Eric as he looked at her like he wanted to shake some sense into her. "Calleigh, you waited until I was perfectly happy in a relationship before even insinuating that you had feelings for me, and I find out a day later it's just because you need to know if the boat will sink or float? I don't care who you ask, that's pretty rotten any way you look at it."

"Eric!" she exclaimed, getting him to stop his tirade. "I am in LOVE with you," she paused for a moment, surprised she actually said it… out loud. He too stopped his pacing and looked at her in shock, letting out a weak breath. She was all about the surprise revelations lately.

Calleigh began again, in the way one confesses their sins to an acquitter: begrudgingly, but helpless to stop the words. "I love you and I've been a fool, I know that."

"I finally realized that what we have, our friendship, doesn't come along all that often. I let fear get the best of me, and I tried," she took a breath, her voice dropping and becoming more brittle. "I tried so hard to pretend it was nothing. But I was wrong. And" she paused again, this time checking her pager as it vibrated for the third time. She continued talking, albeit distractedly as she read '911' on the pager. "And the Atlanta thing, it just came out of no where, I really had no idea. But to be honest, Eric, I would rather go there and start over, than to sit back and let you fall in love with _her, _because it is breaking," her voice cracked and she tried to swallow the knot in her throat, "it's breaking my heart... knowing that I'm the one that should be putting that smile on your face."

Stopping abruptly, she waited for a moment to see if he would respond, but he dropped his eyes from hers and looked down, clearly torn. She rolled her eyes to herself, completely shocked that she'd just said all of that out loud. It was rather cathartic but completely out of character for her. She wanted to slap herself or beat her head against the wall. But the lack of response on Eric's part was making her grow weary and she wasn't so sure she was going to like his response.

When her pager went off for the fourth time she realized she should probably answer it. She stood before him a little bit longer, but when he finally looked up at her, she could see the sadness in his eyes and knew what he was about to say would make or break her.

"Calleigh-" he started and swallowed, there was this knot in his throat that wouldn't go away. He had no idea what to say.

"You know what, Eric?" she cut him off, trying to save them both from what he was trying to say. "Don't bother, I get it. I have to go, I'm getting an emergency page."

As she reached the door she turned back and said one last thing, "And for the record, I got the job offer _after_ I realized how I felt about you. All I really want is for you to be happy, so I'm sorry I screwed that up for you."

Eric watched as she took off, not even giving him a chance to get the words off his chest. Was she expecting for him to be elated and to come running with arms wide open? Now who was being unfair?

O-O-O-O-O

It was a bright, breezy day, perfect for a lunch among friends. Many members from the lab were gathered around a large table on the terrace of a popular restaurant on the shore. Laughter filled the air as bottles of white wine were passed to and fro, and glasses were raised in preparation for a toast.

Eric sat across from Calleigh at the long table, smiling as she told Ryan the story of when she first set foot in the lab and meeting a somewhat unfriendly Speedle. Remembering Speed's caustic wit and Calleigh's impersonation of his best friend caused him to laugh heartily. Silence quickly fell across the table as Horatio stood at one end, looking at his colleagues.

"I always knew this day would come," said Horatio, his glass held high, "but I always figured you'd take my job. This lab will never find a C.S.I. quite like you and I'd never imagine we'll find one equal to your caliber. Calleigh, best of luck in Atlanta, may you experience all the success and happiness that is your due."

Calleigh smiled her thanks to Horatio with defiantly glassy eyes and tipped her glass, taking a sip of her wine as she looked across the table, her eyes falling on Eric. They shared a sad look just then, bittersweet at best. Her decision made, Calleigh was days away from following the moving van up to Atlanta. Inside, Eric was waging a battle with himself.

The meal continued on and was full of sentiment and care, Ryan even got slightly teary eyed as Calleigh read his card. She finally gave him a quick kiss in thanks, meriting a smile from her prodigal student. Alexx and Natalia were both trying not make a show of crying too loudly. Frank gave Calleigh his prized luger as a farewell, receiving a long hug and heartfelt thanks in return. Horatio gave Calleigh a beautifully wrapped box, but made her promise not to open it until she arrived in Atlanta.

Eric managed somehow to forget his gift for Calleigh. No one seemed to notice and Calleigh seemed too distracted to point it out. By the end of the meal he volunteered to help her carry everything out to her car, more to say goodbye privately than as an act of kindness.

"Eric, I just… I just want to say thank you for being such a great friend all these years. You know the past month has been crazy, and I just want to apologize… for everything."

"Cal, I've been giving it a lot of thought and I don't think you should leave," started Eric, but he was stopped by Calleigh.

"You're just saying that now, but you don't mean it. I'd be miserable here and you know it," she said evasively, weakly side-stepping the elephant in the conversation. She brought her hand up and rested it on his cheek, a tear escaping her now red eyes.

"I have to go," she said as he brought his hand up to cover hers, holding it in place. He knew she just wanted to get in her car so she could cry by herself.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him firmly on the mouth, a goodbye kiss more than anything. He tasted salt from her tears as she pulled away and turned around, climbing into her car. As she drove away he stood alone in the parking lot, waving goodbye to the best thing that never happened to him.

Eric shot up in bed, breathing heavily and completely confused. What just happened? Was that a dream? What day was it? Did he just imagine that? He checked the clock by his bed and it had only been thirty minutes since he'd fallen asleep.

Had he really just dreamed that Calleigh was leaving? He felt funny. Like he did when his dog got hit by a car when he was in the 9th grade. It was like a part of him was gone. Oh, this would not do. There was no way Calleigh could leave, absolutely none.

O-O-O

News of Calleigh's job offer spread like wild-fire through the lab, but with Calleigh absent, it was hard to refute any other rumors. The emergency page she'd received was from the county prison. Charlie Redding had attempted suicide. Calleigh had been designated point of contact for the case and drove there immediately, trailing the ambulance as they transported Charlie to the hospital.

By Friday, Eric had seen Calleigh once; and it was only in passing. Her face betrayed nothing, and he felt awful. Meanwhile, everyone was gearing up for the big Mayor's Ball that Saturday night. Horatio and the rest of the team chose to attend, all except Calleigh. She gave no reason for not wanting to attend, merely saying that she did not want to go.

Finally, that night, Eric had caught Calleigh alone but he'd lost much of the courage he'd worked up over the course of the past two days. She was putting some equipment away, making sure each piece was clean in her own efficient matter.

"Hey," he said quietly, not wanting to scare her.

"Hey yourself," she returned evenly.

"How's Charlie doing?"

"He got extubated earlier today, so as long as he doesn't try to strangle himself again, I guess he'll be fine."

"What happened?"

"His lawyers dropped the news that his appeal request was rejected and that he was looking at another year there without a chance of even getting heard by the court."

"Basically at the end of his rope…"

"Too soon," Calleigh admonished, thinking Eric was making a pun.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I know this means a lot to you, you've put a lot of work into it."

"It's not that," she said honestly, as she took a seat on the stool next to him. "It's just, I've played an important role in this family's life, and it's my fault that Charlie is locked up for the rest of his life."

"Don't feel responsible for all of this, you didn't pull the trigger."

"I know, I know," she admitted to herself, propping her elbows up on the table and rubbing her eyes. She was so utterly tired.

"Why won't you come to the Ball?"

"After answering that same question literally about forty times, I'm not even so sure anymore."

"Good, then you should come," said Eric, as he stood up. "We could dance, you could admire me in my suit, and all the guys could envy our table for having the most beautiful women sitting at it."

"Ah," said Calleigh, catching on, "you think flattery is going to get me to come out with y'all?"

"You are a girl, it works on all you, even my mother."

"Yeah, but I bet your puppy dog eyes work on her, and you know they don't on me," she said as she got up and finished wiping down the counter.

"I'm well aware of that, trust me," he said with a smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. She looked up at him and new what he was going to say and she honestly didn't want to go through with it right then.

"Cal-"

"Can we not do this right now? I'm beyond tired and all I want to do is go to sleep. Hopefully, I'll be awake on Monday."

He frowned, knowing that she was only denying the inevitable. They would talk. He vowed that it would happen. The two friends bid each other goodnight, one looking forward to the future, and the other wishing time would stop.

O-O-O

Boisterous and colorful, elegant and chaotic was this affair. The Mayor's Ball was for the best and brightest of Miami's chic set, posing as benefactors to a charity they couldn't even name. Eric's senses were in overdrive as he took in his surroundings, a yacht that resembled a small luxury ship, outfitted with the handsomest wood and most decadent of fabrics and furnishings.

The guests came in on the main deck, descending down a staircase that served to present them to the crowd of onlookers below, all believing themselves better dressed than the next. The affluence and self-importance of the crowd was enough to make Eric want to vomit, but he couldn't help but laugh with Ryan as they mocked the airs those around them put on for show.

Picking up a bottle of champagne, Ryan was mirroring what he just saw one of the young and elite do three tables over. Eric smiled at Ryan as he tired to expertly work the corkscrew, though it was clear he was having a little difficulty as many did from time to time. Detective Tripp, also in attendance, walked up behind Ryan shaking his head, looking from Horatio to Eric as though they could answer for Ryan's actions.

"Give me that, you moron," said Tripp as he grabbed the bottle from Ryan and with a quick twist a stream of white foam ushered forth and cheers went around.

Ryan retrieved the bottle from Frank and went about his task of replenishing the flutes with more champagne. Eric walked over to Ryan and held two forth, shaking his head at his friend.

"I swear I know what-" Ryan started to say but stopped mid-sentence, his gaze glued to the quartet descending the stairs.

"Ryan!" exclaimed Eric, dismayed as Ryan over filled his glass, spilling champagne all over the table and floor. But Ryan was completely distracted, and it caused Eric to turn to see what all the fuss was about.

Standing at the top of the stairs were the four women they worked with, dressed to the nines and looking flat-out amazing. Amazing as in half the men in the room shut up to watch them descend the stairs, as though they hadn't a care in the world other than what they were whispering back and forth to one another, smiling mischievously. None took notice of the many looks they received as they passed by.

"Good God, Horatio, your department is going to get an influx of employees if your female colleagues parade about like that," said Juan Ortega, a prominent lawyer and landowner in the area.

"Don't worry, they normally dress in lab coats or scrubs," said Horatio offhandedly, just as dumbstruck as the others. "So this is why they were late?" he asked the men around his table, all a little gob smacked for the moment.

"I knew they were going to do something like this, I could tell when Valera was being all evasive yesterday about how she was getting here, and why Natalia wouldn't say who her date was. But I thought Calleigh wasn't coming, though. Did you know Eric?"

Unfortunately Eric couldn't respond. All sound became dissonant and all he could hear was the sound of his own heart beat roaring in his ears. His eyes transfixed on Calleigh, Eric was enraptured, bewitched and overcome.

With every step she took, her silky dress, dark smoky lavender in color, seemed to hold each position, catching the light in subtle ways and seeming as though it were poured onto her, fitting her every curve. She wore little jewelry, save for a pair of pearls that matched the dress, and a simple silver bracelet. The front of the dress cut a V deeply into her cleavage, yet as always, it was tasteful.

He realized he hadn't taken a breath for a while when Ryan turned and said something to him, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it was. Inhaling sharply, he turned and gave Ryan a confused look, finally breaking his gaze on Calleigh.

"What?"

"Ohhh, look at little Delko, he's all hot n' bothered. Are you blushing, man?" said Ryan as he pinched Eric's cheeks, who was brushing him away.

"Knock it off," said Eric, his voice still a little hoarse. He could _not_ focus on any thing. All he knew was that he desperately wanted to turn around and just watch her approach them; maybe with his jaw on the floor, he didn't care. But his pride would not let him; he simply waited with the rest of his co-workers as the ladies crossed the grand foyer and wove in and out of the ornately decorated tables chatting to guests along the way.

"Well, hello gentlemen!" said Alexx as she sauntered up, looking smashing in a red number with four-inch stilettos. No wonder they held to each other when coming down the stairs.

"Good evening, Alexx, ladies," offered Horatio as he handed Alexx and a glowing Natalia glasses of champagne.

"I thought you weren't coming," said Ryan as he stood next to Calleigh, trying not to stare at her or the rest of the women he worked with.

"I had an offer I just couldn't pass up," said Calleigh enigmatically as she shared a look with Natalia.

"Well, you all look absolutely gorgeous, and I think I can now die a happy man," said Ryan as he held out a chair for Calleigh and Maxine, sitting between them both. The doors to the top deck closed and a gentleman in a smart looking suit approached a microphone, informing the guests that the yacht was departing.

Eric, who had taken a seat next to Horatio and Alexx, had been unusually quiet since the women joined the group. It didn't help that every time Calleigh moved his focus was brought once more in her direction, and he couldn't force himself to look away. Not that he really wanted to.

All the men agreed to come stag that evening, saving themselves from having to find dates on such short notice. Plus with such enrapturing ladies sitting at their table, none looked to be in want of a female companion anyway.

As the yacht forged through the night, the evening began to pick up as drinks were passed around and the open bar became frequented. The musical octet began playing some swanky dance music as several people took to the large wooden dance floor. One by one, each of the ladies at the table was asked to dance, and off they went, to enjoy an evening of merriment.

Ryan and Eric also led their own game of intrigue, finding each other women with whom they should dance and daring the other to ask for her hand. Childish? Yes, but they were stranded together on a boat for the whole evening, they needed something to keep them entertained and Cooper was not present.

"Alright Delko," said Ryan after a good twenty minutes of dancing. "I've got the ultimate dare, one that cannot be surpassed."

"You said that last time, and I just got her number!" said Eric as they both stood by the bar, loosening their ties a bit.

"Which was impressive, I admit, she must own at least four cruise ships. Still, this femme fatale might be out of your league," said Ryan as the woman in question began to approach them at the bar. Ryan nodded in her direction and Eric shook his head and sighed.

"No way," said Eric as Calleigh came to stand before the both of them, curious as to what mischief they were getting into. She was radiant; literally, the dancing had given her flushed cheeks and warmed her up a bit, giving her an almost unnatural glow.

"Hey fellas, if you're planning another prank, I demand to be included, it's only right after the penance I paid last time."

"Actually," said Ryan before Eric could speak, "Eric here was just mentioning to me that he'd like to dance with you."

Eric shot Ryan a look that sent chills down his spine, one that Calleigh also caught. Goodness, if he didn't want to dance with her she wasn't going to force him.

"Funny, because I came over here to see if _you_ wanted to dance," said Calleigh to Ryan, thinking she was giving Eric a get-out-of-jail-free card. She gave him a kind smile, but the look on his face was unreadable and she faltered a bit. Ready for his chance to dance with Calleigh, Ryan patted Eric on the shoulder, whispering, 'You snooze you lose," and gently escorted Calleigh to the floor.

Eric, though slightly peeved, wasn't too worried. They were on a boat, how many places could she go to avoid him? Sooner or later they'd have a chance to talk, and he could get things off his chest.

Calleigh smiled at Ryan as he glided them suavely around the dance floor, chuckling as he spun her out then brought her back in. She caught sight of Eric a couple times, dancing with Natalia, both of whom were laughing at a private joke. She couldn't help but admire the way he looked in a suit, it was like he was the Cuban James Bond. Perfectly cut and looking so handsome. She must at admit, Ryan also looked quite dashing.

"Calleigh," asked Ryan quietly. They were dancing pretty closely, but neither gave it much thought.

"Yeah?" she asked as she observed others from over his shoulder.

"Are you really thinking about going to Atlanta?" he sounded concerned and a little distraught.

She pulled back and looked at him for a moment, offering him a sad smile and a nod.

"I'm afraid so, Ryan."

"But why? You have everything you could ever want right here."

"I never started in this business thinking that I'd want to be a supervisor. But a lot of things have happened lately, some here, some while I was away, and I began to realize that maybe I wasn't as happy as I thought I was."

"So moving to Atlanta is supposed to make you happy?"

"Of course not, but it'll give me a clean slate, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"True," he said as he considered her words. "For what it's worth, I don't think you should leave. No one does. Think of how sad we're going to be if you actually leave. What if we get some shady kid in firearms again?"

"Oh stop, making me feel guilty isn't the way to go," she said in a matronly tone.

"Well, what about Eric?" said Ryan offhandedly, though not quite.

"What _about_ Eric?" said Calleigh a little quicker than she wished.

"You're like the Kelly to his Regis, the Gromitt to his Wallace, the Cher to his Sonny."

"You just compared me to a dog, Ryan."

"Regardless, you get my point. He's been completely out of sorts since he found out. You know that," said Ryan.

Calleigh didn't answer. There was a lot Ryan didn't know about. Things that she wished she could take back. Things that she felt never should have been said. Mainly for the sake of protecting her dignity.

"Relax Ryan, Eric will be fine. You can be the Hutch to his Starsky. Plus, he's got Kate to keep him busy now; I expect to be on the invite list once they decide to go through with everything."

"Wait, what are you talking about," said Ryan as he pulled away a bit. "I thought he broke up with her the other day?"

Calleigh could feel the blood rushing to her ears. Was the room spinning or was it just her? He broke up with Kate? Why didn't he say anything?

"Did he break up with her or did she break up with him?"

"Actually I think it was a mutual thing. She didn't really care for how much he worked, that was becoming an issue for the both of them."

"Oh," replied Calleigh, though she didn't have more to say. They finished the rest of the dance and Ryan brought them back to the table, politely pulling out Calleigh's chair as she took a seat. Natalia had returned to the table already, but Eric had found his way to the bar beside Horatio, who was ordering a round for the table.

The storm of emotion raging within Calleigh was barely exhibited on the surface, mainly as she tried to carry on conversation with Maxine and Natalia. Alexx returned from a dance with a rather prosperous aeronautical engineer and informed them that she gave him Calleigh's number.

"Oh you didn't, Alexx!" said Calleigh as she sighed to herself, the others laughing.

"Didn't what?" asked Eric as he took his seat next to Natalia.

"I'm just cooking up a little craziness, that's all," said Alexx as she smiled conspiringly at Natalia.

"Alexx gave the man in the double-breasted suit up there Calleigh's number," stated Natalia.

"Yeah so he can call you expecting a honey and get the complete opposite," huffed Calleigh.

Everyone laughed and resumed conversation around the table as they waited for dinner to be served. Unfortunately, their stamina was to be tested as a round of awards were given while the salads were delivered. Dinner came swiftly enough, but Calleigh found it increasingly difficult to eat when all she wanted to do was cling to the mainland and clear the air with Eric.

Occasionally their eyes would meet, but it was difficult to hold the other's gaze as they were sitting across the table from one another. Calleigh would have killed to know what he was thinking as he sat only a few feet away, looking cool and calm.

If only she knew that his palms were sweating and he felt his heart beating out of his chest, maybe she wouldn't feel so bad. Perhaps if she were aware that Eric was trying to string together a coherent sentence so he could speak to her she might even feel a little better about herself. At least _she_ could formulate thoughts.

As a break was offered to the guests, everyone managed to get up from the table and scatter. In the ensuing chaos, Eric lost sight of Calleigh and found that if he had to wait much longer, he might go crazy. Literally. Like 'stop eating the paint' crazy.

Eric decided to take a turn on a lower deck, hoping the breezy air would restore some confidence. He found this particular deck to be less crowded and for that he was thankful, some of the other partygoers were getting a little too inebriated. As he turned the corner, he came upon none other than Calleigh Duquesne, clinging for dear life to a support post that lined the deck. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, then frowned when he realized she must be in absolute misery.

"Why'd you come if you were going to be fighting this the whole time?"

Calleigh looked surprised to see him, but of anyone, he was the one she definitely wanted beside her. It took her nearly five minutes to get enough courage to get on the stupid boat, claiming that she had a dysfunctional shoe. When she descended the stairs earlier, she'd been clutching the rail so tightly that she had white knuckles. And now, she was out on the deck, too far out to call it quits.

"I got talked into coming. Alexx and Natalia can be very persuasive when they want to." She replied, images of the two women showing up at her house and forcing her into a dress flashed through her mind.

"I'm glad you came, you seem to be having a good time," said Eric as he stood next to her, watching her slowly release the post and begin to breathe once again.

"Oh yes," she said as she leaned over a bit, peering into the murky water, then coming back in. "Marvelous time."

She figured that if she could at least make one lap around the deck being completely petrified of the water, then she could handle anything after that, including talk to Eric. But her fears reemerged as she only made it half way around, where images of dark frothy water consuming her, not letting her come up for air began to take over. She shivered involuntarily and bit her lip, cursing herself once again for being dumb enough to come on this stupid yacht.

Eric saw her shiver and brought his hand to her back, not thinking about it. He offered her his hand, and slowly, she released her death grip on the post and grasped his own.

"You tell anyone about this and I'll shoot you," she said menacingly, but her words carried no threat.

"Wouldn't dare," said Eric quietly as they ever so slowly approached the side rail. He was quiet and respectful, not trying to distract Calleigh as she built up the courage to take each new step. He knew how difficult it must be for her to be trapped on this boat with him of all people. He couldn't help but admire her.

"We made it!" she said innocently as she smiled up at him gladly, forgetting the past few weeks and simply thankful for his reassuring presence.

"Yes we did," said Eric quietly as he maneuvered to stand behind Calleigh as she looked out at the shore, his arms braced on either side of her on the railing. The breeze clung to her hair and blew it back slightly, causing its scent to mingle with the salty air. He closed his eyes and took in a slow breath, lingering in the moment.

Slowly he moved closer as they continued to look out at the distant shore, the bright lights clamoring for attention. Calleigh couldn't help the chill bumps that spread along her arms as she felt Eric close the space between them, the way his head dipped a little as he whispered in her ear.

"Every time I look at you, my heart starts beating a little bit faster. You can probably feel it right now," he said with his voice low and husky. He reached up and brushed the hair off her shoulders, letting his fingers trail down her soft arm.

"Mine's probably beating just as fast," admitted Calleigh in a strained voice as she tried to ignore the way his hand glided softly from her shoulder to her finger tips, where his fingers intertwined with hers.

Just then a loud boom sounded overhead and a cluster of fireworks burst forth in the sky. Colors of every assortment cluttered the dark canvas, erupting in every direction, leaving fading streaks behind as they became enveloped by the night.

"They're so beautiful," said Calleigh as she watched the fireworks explode in a multitude of color, reflecting off the water. Her childish delight was apparent and infectious. Eric nodded in agreement, but couldn't help but watch Calleigh's reaction every time a new firework went off, a thousand-watt smile suffusing her features.

"Breathtaking," he murmured, so soft she hardly heard him. It was enough to make her glance back and find his eyes on her. In a PG world his gaze at best could be described as smoldering. She kept her eyes on him and watched as he turned to face her more directly. He looked serious, so serious that she became slightly wary.

"Can I just say something?" asked Eric.

"Yes," she said curiously, cocking her head to the side.

"Promise you won't get mad," he said with a hint of a smile.

"I promise I-" before she could finish, she felt Eric's lips on hers, his hand clasping the back of her neck carefully, holding her in place.

It was slow at first, tenuous and tender but as he felt her begin to respond, first with her hand clutching his upper arm, he gained confidence and deepened the kiss. His other hand moved to the bare skin on the small of her back and pulled her closer, fully wrapping her in his embrace.

At first, Calleigh didn't comprehend what was happening; she hadn't expected him to actually kiss her. But once she realized that his lips, his wonderfully soft lips were on hers, she could do little more than find something to hold onto, which happened to be his arm. And when he pulled her closer, she was thankful for the added support simply because her surprise at his actions was enough to make her slightly dizzy.

She tasted like something he couldn't quite place. But it was something he wanted more of, this he knew for sure. He felt her nails skim lightly on his neck and felt chills erupt in their wake. The actual experience of kissing her had far exceeded his expectations; more like overwhelmed his senses. He felt the softness of her hair tickling his cheeks as he turned his head slightly, the way she rose a little higher on her toes to meet him more fully, the way her grip slightly tightened as he quickly darted his tongue out to graze her bottom lip. His only fear was of his need for air of which he was becoming increasingly aware.

Calleigh broke the kiss, slowly dropping back down to where her heels touched the ground. Her breaths matched his in heaviness as she kept her eyes closed a moment longer, instinctively sucking in her bottom lip and running her tongue over it, savoring the last of the kiss. Eric had opened his eyes immediately in order to gauge her reaction, his head still bent close to hers and hands clasped tight around her as he watched her slowly break into a grin. He brought his hand up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, an intimate gesture that broke into her thoughts.

As Calleigh opened her eyes she couldn't help but be amazed at the clarity in Eric's eyes, the way they carried the light and gave away his emotions. Her grin became a full blown smile as she laughed softly at his reaction, she could practically feel his happiness.

"What?" he asked, slightly insecure.

"Is that all you have to say?" Oh she was being coy. He liked that.

"Hardly," he said and leaned down again, pulling her even closer to him as he met her with only a shred of the fervor he felt, so much had been buried beneath the surface that it could lay hidden no longer. He felt her smile fade against his lips as he ran his tongue over her bottom lip again, tasting her before she opened her mouth and flicked her tongue softly against his. She was prepared for him this time as she granted him access; languishing in the feel of his arms around her and the warmth he emanated, seeming to consume them both.

In the back of her mind, Calleigh was aware of Eric running his fingers up her back; delicately caressing her skin as he stopped at her shoulder blades then ran them back down along her spine to the tip. She decided he was playing dirty and returned the favor, teasing his tongue a little then sucking on his bottom lip before turning for another angle and letting her fingers brush against his buzzed hair.

Unable to help himself, Eric moaned quietly as Calleigh's fingers glided down his neck, while her tongue did things he didn't know how to describe. He'd kissed many, many women before and had felt weak in the knees plenty of times simply because it was Miami and the women knew what they were doing.

But this time, it was different. Entirely. He actually wanted to grab the rail behind her because of the weakness he felt. Maybe it was the years of playfulness, the subtle and not so subtle flirtation, perhaps it was the last few months of mutual attraction and increasing interest. Or maybe it was because he was falling even more in love with her.

All he knew was that it culminated in this one weak-in-the-knees moment.

It wasn't earth-shattering, nor was it something songs were written about, but it was honest and sincere and passionate and Eric couldn't imagine anything better. His whole body started to hum with this all encompassing energy that made him want to do something crazy.

Calleigh felt Eric's arms tighten around her as he lifted her up and spun around; laughing as she made a surprised sort of gasp and tightened her hold around him. Just then another set of fireworks went off, causing them both to look up at the same time. A moment later, Eric felt Calleigh's palm slide down his cheek where her thumb slowly grazed his now swollen lips.

As his gaze fell on hers he saw something in her eyes that made him catch his breath. There was vulnerability in them, unadulterated vulnerability. It surprised him, to see that much unguarded emotion completely exposed.

At the sudden change in his demeanor Calleigh stilled her movements, immediately wary. Just like that, it was gone. Walls up and fully operational.

"What?" she asked quietly, barely audible over the still exploding fireworks.

Eric opened his mouth but found no words to say. Whether it was his voice that he was missing or simply lacking in the words to express what he felt, he merely shook his head and pulled her palm to his lips then placed it over his heart, hoping his kiss could relate to her what he could not.

Noise from further down the boat drew their attention away from each other as they looked towards the source. Eric couldn't help but frown as he felt Calleigh step away, her hands sliding down his arms to where she held on to his hands. Their fingers intertwined as they stood before each other, both somewhat speechless and just a little unsure. He felt like it was his first kiss.

In so many ways, it was.

Somehow breaking from her hormone-induced haze, Calleigh smiled bashfully and rolled her eyes playfully at him, giving his hands a squeeze.

"We should probably head back, before they send out a search party."

"Yeah, you've already had enough of that for the both of us," he said as they relinquished their grasp.

"My, my, aren't you feisty?" said Calleigh.

"I have no idea why. Maybe this blonde I know rubbed off on me a little bit," he said with a wink as they walked towards the dining room.

"I'm pretty more she did more than just rub," she said impishly.

"Wow," said Eric as they drew close to their table, "maybe it's the other way around."

The night ended on a happy note, both CSIs trying desperately to not betray the exchange that occurred earlier. Calleigh said goodnight to him casually and quietly as she followed her girls out to their limousine. Before saying goodnight to the rest of the crew, she whispered three words in his ear that gave him imminent happiness.

"See you tomorrow."

O-O-O-O-O

Eric rang the doorbell and took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. He knew it was early, but so what?

A few minutes later the door opened to reveal a half awake Calleigh, dressed in a tank top and shorts, make-up off and hair all bed-mussed. She never looked more beautiful to him than at that moment, especially when her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Eric?" yawned out Calleigh, clearly confused. "It's… it's seven thirty. Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes. Go get dressed. I can't sleep. And I have no idea how you can."

"I haven't done much of it lately, so it's actually quite simple," said Calleigh as she turned away from the door, leaving it wide open, letting Eric in. She walked towards her giant cushiony couch and curled up, one-track mind seeking sleep.

"It's absolutely beautiful outside; I take it as an omen. Come on, how can you be so calm about everything?"

"Eric, I've spent weeks on pins and needles. I'm so exhausted and I am so content, that it's hard to feel any other way."

"What, so are you telling me it's like having a food coma?"

"Sure," she said as she bit back another yawn.

"Well I feel like I've chugged an entire case of red-bull."

"I can tell," said Calleigh with a smile. Knowing she wasn't going to get rid of Eric, she sighed and sat up slowly, pulling her hair into a back into a messy bun.

"Fine, fine, you win. I'm starving. And I smell. How about you make some coffee and I'll go shower?"

"Thought you'd never ask," he said as he watched her begrudgingly leave her couch and walk towards her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

O-O-O

Calleigh had nothing to eat, not even fruit. Eric pulled her out of her house and towards his car, asking where they should go for breakfast. As soon as a place was decided, Eric smiled at his companion, knowing she was just as excited as him.

"You're killing me," said Eric with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You're sitting there, quiet as can be. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Even though you woke me up, I'd love to spend every day like this."

"Glad we're on the same page," he said with unabashedly.

Breakfast was casual and delicious, dining al fresco at a simple bakery a stone's throw from the beach. They walked on the boardwalk later, chatting about what had been going on in the past few weeks, neither one happy about the rift that had come between them. Subtle apologies were given, both saying they never intending to hurt the other, though in reality no apologies were needed.

By midmorning they found themselves on a pier avoiding the hungry and hopeful seagulls. Calleigh was sitting on the edge, finally working up the courage to see if she could handle it. Eric was in front of her though, holding her hands tightly as they spoke quietly.

"I'm serious, Atlanta is what changed me. That and my brother. Jamie is the most perceptive person I know. He kind of reminds me of you a little bit."

"I don't get it though, were you just sitting there thinking, gee I want to fall in love or was it something you realized you didn't have?"

"I saw Jamie and Jordan, the way they interacted, and I knew I had that… with you. But it just wasn't on the same level of intimacy. The only problem was I had this mind block or something. I couldn't actually put you in that position in my mind."

"You know, it's funny. I spent so many months wondering if I was wrong, if what I was feeling was completely in my head. One night my sister Isa came over for dinner and she was dispensing her wisdom like always. She said, 'If you're as good of friends as you say you are, the lifelong kind, and if one day you both get together, it'll be amazing. But if something should ever happen and you break up, you should still be able to remain friends. True friendship is like the tide, it ebbs and flows but it's always there."

"Wow. What'd she say after that."

"Nothing, she smacked me upside the head for not cleaning my kitchen in a week."

"So is this your casual way of saying that you think our friendship will remain, regardless of what happens?"

"Yes. Exactly."

Calleigh brought her arms up to Eric's shoulders and leaned in with a smile. Kissing him softly on the lips she pulled back and saw that absolutely captivated look in his eyes. He chuckled to himself and she rolled her eyes.

"What? You keep doing that."

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you, and it's just so funny now because I can do it all the time."

"You're crazy."

"Yeah, in love," he smiled as she jumped off the ledge. He started walking away with her hand in his, but stopped when she didn't move. "What?"

"You just said that you love me," said Calleigh with her head cocked to the side.

"Was that not obvious before?" he said as he stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She shrugged sheepishly, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"Calleigh, my heart is so fully, completely, overwhelmingly full of love for you that I feel dizzy at times just being around you. How's that?"

"I guess it'll do," she said as she kissed him again, longer and deeper. As they broke apart Eric kept her hand in his as they walked towards the shore, back to his car.

"Where to next, Captain Delko?" asked Calleigh.

"You tell me."

"Well, it is Sunday."

"Yeah, so?"

"Isn't it family dinner night?"

She could feel his smile before she saw it. He squeezed her hand tightly as they kept walking. Pulling out his cell phone, Eric dialed his home.

"Hey Ma? Yeah, I know I wasn't at church. Sorry," Eric rolled his eyes as Calleigh chuckled at him. "Ma," he interrupted her tirade, "Ma, could you set one more for dinner tonight?"

Calleigh smiled at the exclamation on the other end.

O-O-O

A week had passed since Calleigh and Eric had starting seeing each other. They tried to keep it quiet at work, but the obvious change in their demeanors didn't fool anyone. A reluctant, yet necessary call was made to Atlanta while Eric was making Calleigh dinner that Friday night.

Later as they watched a movie with Calleigh curled up on the couch with her legs in Eric's lap, Eric glanced over at her and smiled contentedly. Her hand finding his, their fingers intertwined and she kissed his wrist. As she gave him a sweet smile, _his_ smile, he squeezed her hand tightly. He continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye, even after she'd fallen asleep (she could never finish a movie) and her hold had loosened on his. Propping his arm up on the back of the couch, he reached down and brushed the hair off her face, quietly chuckling at his secret.

Earlier that week, the Monday morning after he'd taken Calleigh to her first of many Sunday dinners, he'd bought her an engagement ring with the money he'd been saving for nearly a year.

Little did he know, it would take him 5 months of learning and laughing and talking and loving to finally ask her to marry him on a chilly winter night.

Oddly enough, that was exactly how long Calleigh had been waiting for him to ask her the question.

-_Fin-_

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and the reading everyone! I can and probably will write an Epilogue, but it'll be a while. If you liked this, great, please let me know what you think.


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